Mexican keeper Ochoa set for historic 6th WCup

Mexico City, June 2: Mexican star Guillermo Ochoa is set to become the first goalkeeper to appear in six World Cup finals after being named in the co-hosts' squad.

The 40-year-old, who plays for Cypriot outfit AEL Limassol, joins superstars Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Argentina's Lionel Messi in performing for the sixth time at the quadrennial football festival.

However, while Ronaldo and Messi are automatic first choices, Ochoa is unlikely to have much game time as he has dropped down the pecking order in recent years.

Ochoa, whose first World Cup was in Germany in 2006, headlines the squad along with forwards Raul Jimenez and Santiago Gimenez, who play for Premier League side Fulham and Serie A giants AC Milan respectively.

Two of the squad named on Sunday -- Spain-born midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo and Colombia-born forward Julian Quinones -- have become pivotal players for the Javier Aguirre-coached team since being naturalised.

Gilberto Mora, the talented 17-year-old attacking midfielder, is set to become the youngest player to represent Mexico at a World Cup.

For Aguirre, 67, it will be his third World Cup in charge, having been in the dugout at the 2002 and 2010 renewals. On both occasions they have failed to progress beyond the group stage but this time round will hope to follow the sides of 1970 and 1986 -- when they also hosted the finals -- in reaching the last eight.

Czech includes 17-year-old Hugo 

Sparta Prague midfielder Hugo Sochůrek was included in the Czech Republic squad for the World Cup after he became the youngest player for the national team in a warmup game against Kosovo on Sunday.

The Czechs won 2-1 and 17-year-old Sochůrek came on as a substitute. Immediately after the game, coach Miroslav Koubek cut his initial selection of 29 to the final 26.

FC Cincinnati midfielder Pavel Bucha, Mladá Boleslav forward Christophe Kabongo and Viktoria Plzeň midfielder Tomáš Ladra didn't make the final cut.

In good news for the Czechs, attacking midfielder Adam Hložek of Hoffenheim, who has recently recovered from long-term calf and foot injuries, returned to the squad to play his first game for the national team since June and scored a goal. The 23-year-old has played 42 international games, scoring five times.

The team mainstays included Lyon midfielder Pavel Šulc, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick and West Ham midfield Tomáš Souček.

Koubek also included two Slavia Prague players — forward Tomáš Chorý and defender David Douděra — who were suspended for disciplinary reasons by the club for the rest of the season and transfer-listed. The Czechs qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2006. (AFP)