GB handed tricky Olympic draw

Britain, taking part in their first Olympic football tournament since 1960, will kick off the bid for gold against Senegal at Manchester United's Old Trafford on July 26 after the draw was made at Wembley.

Team GB manager Stuart Pearce said he expected a difficult challenge, and warned David Beckham that his place in the squad is not guaranteed.

He said: “I wouldn’t dismiss anyone in the group or teams coming here. It’ll be tough - that’s tournament football.

“I would like to think everyone in the squad will have star quality. I’ll know a bit more about David Beckham’s chances when I go to the States and see him. He’s been a great ambassador but that’s no guarantee he’ll get in the squad. I’m picking on form and merit alone.

"David Beckham will be treated the same as everybody else, on form and fitness. I have a duty of care to GB to win a gold medal. I'm not under pressure to include star names and form and fitness will be the main drivers.

"We'll have a look at the youngsters, see we're short and then look at outside that. I'd be quite happy to take a full Welsh side into the Stadium, it's not a matter of nationality."

Senegal reached their first Olympics after beating Oman 2-0 in a playoff at the City of Coventry Stadium on Monday.

"It is such an honour to play against Britain in the opening match at Old Trafford," Augustin Senghor, the president of the Senegalese FA, told Reuters.

"I know we were the last to arrive in these finals after the playoff last night, but I hope that we will not be the first to leave. We will also field our strongest team and see if our players at Newcastle like Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse can be involved."

Britain will also meet Uruguay and United Arab Emirates in Group A.

Brazil, five-times World Cup winners but never Olympic champions, face Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand in Group C.

Spain, gold medallists in 1992 and the world and European champions, take on Japan, Honduras and Morocco in Group D while seeded Mexico meet South Korea, Gabon and Switzerland in Group B.

The top two teams from each group go through to the quarter-finals.

OLYMPIC FOOTBALL - MEN'S GROUP STAGE DRAW

Group A: Great Britain, Uruguay, UAE, Senegal

Group B: Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland, Gabon

Group C: Brazil, Belarus, New Zealand, Egypt

Group D: Spain, Honduras, Japan, Morocco

OLYMPIC FOOTBALL - MEN'S SCHEDULE

Group A

July 26 - 17:00 - United Arab Emirates v Uruguay - Old Trafford, Manchester

July 26 - 19:45 - Great Britain v Senegal - Old Trafford, Manchester

July 29 - 17:00 - Senegal v Uruguay - Wembley, London

July 29 - 19:45 - Great Britain v United Arab Emirates - Wembley, London

August 1 - 19:45 - Senegal v United Arab Emirates - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

August 1 - 19:45 - Great Britain v Uruguay - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Group B

July 26 - 14:30 - Mexico v South Korea - St James' Park, Newcastle

July 26 - 17:15 - Gabon v Switzerland - St James' Park, Newcastle

July 29 - 14:30 - Mexico v Gabon - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

July 29 - 17:15 - South Korea v Switzerland - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

August 1 - 17:00 - Mexico v Switzerland - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

August 1 - 19:45 - South Korea v Gabon - Hampden Park, Glasgow

Group C

July 26 - 19:45 - Brazil v Egypt - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

July 26 - 19:45 - Belarus v New Zealand - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

July 29 - 12:00 - Brazil v Belarus - Old Trafford, Manchester

July 29 - 14:45 - Egypt v New Zealand - Old Trafford, Manchester

August 1 - 14:30 - Brazil v New Zealand - St James' Park, Newcastle

August 1 - 14:30 - Egypt v Belarus - Hampden Park, Glasgow

Group D

July 26 - 12:00 - Spain v Japan - Hampden Park, Glasgow

July 26 - 14:45 - Honduras v Morocco - Hampden Park, Glasgow

July 29 - 17:00 - Spain v Honduras - St James' Park, Newcastle

July 29 - 19:45 - Japan v Morocco - St James' Park, Newcastle

August 1 - 17:00 - Spain v Morocco - Old Trafford, Manchester

August 1 - 17:00 - Japan v Honduras - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

QUARTER-FINALS

August 4 - 12:00 - Winner D v Runner-up C - Old Trafford, Manchester

August 4 - 14:30 - Winner B v Runner-up A - Wembley Stadium, London

August 4 - 17:00 - Winner C v Runner-up D - St James' Park, Newcastle

August 4 - 19:30 - Winner A v Runner-up B - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

SEMI-FINALS

August 7 - 17:00 - Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2 - Wembley Stadium, London

August 7 - 19:45 - Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4 - Old Trafford, Manchester

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

August 10 - 19:45 - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

GOLD MEDAL MATCH

August 11 - 15:00 - Wembley Stadium, London