Sami Khedira, the Germany midfielder, does not want to be compared with Michael Ballack, the man he is set to replace at the World Cup.
The Stuttgart midfielder is the likely beneficiary of Ballack's injury-enforced withdrawal from the squad, taking his place in the centre of the midfield alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger, but the 23-year-old says it would be wrong to compare the two.
"That would not be fair on Ballack," he told reporters at Germany's training camp in Sudtirol yesterday.
"After all he has done for German football, it is not justified to compare me with him. I still have to develop a lot to get to his level - he is a world-class player; I am a bit away from that.
"My aim is to reach that level, but I have my own game and my own character so cannot be compared with other players or Ballack."
Nevertheless, Khedira has been the focus of much of the attention since the news broke that Ballack would not be going to South Africa.
After leading Germany's Under 21s to glory at the European championships last summer, Khedira is set for his second major tournament, but he is no more nervous about it than he was in Sweden last summer.
"Why should I create more pressure or make myself go crazy?" he asked. "This is just what I want - I just want to play football. I want to help the team and, as I have said, it is very bitter that Ballack is out, but this is my chance and I have got to take it. I am trying to do that now with the way I present myself in training."
Khedira has made only three appearances for the senior Germany team, but he added: "I have been a professional footballer for many years and have made nearly 100 Bundesliga appearances and appeared in Champions League games so I do think I have plenty of international experience. I may not have the experience of 50 or 60 caps, but I always aim to play to win and that can compensate for a lot."
* PA
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The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat
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Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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