We'll meet again...

Diego Maradona may be grabbing the majority of the headlines ahead of his first game in charge of Argentina against Scotland tonight, but Barry Ferguson says he hopes the next time the two countries lock horns will be in the World Cup finals.

Scotland have not reached a major finals since qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in France and Ferguson, who won his first international cap the following year, captains his country for the 27th time - only George Young, Billy Bremner and Gary McAllister have worn the armband on more occasions.

"If you can't get excited about playing against Argentina then what chance have you got?" said Ferguson. "As a professional footballer you want to test yourself against the best.

"The manager told us when we met this week that this is what you get to play against when you reach a major finals and it's true. I keep saying it every couple of years but it would be great to reach a major finals."

Winless stretch

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Scotland have not won a friendly match at Hampden Park for 12 matches - a run that stretches all the way back to a 1-0 victory against Australia in 1996.  Fergusson added: "It's not a great record but it would have been easy to take a friendly against a nation who were not the best. At least you are in against the best and you can learn things from them.

"We should be taking a game against the likes of Argentina. People are saying that if the result goes against us it will affect our confidence but I don't think that will happen. We will set out to stop them doing that. It's the right kind of game to take with the qualifier coming up against Holland (in March)."

On Maradona's 'Hand of God' display against England in the quarter finals of the World Cup in 1986, Ferguson said: "I watched the game with my dad. I was only eight and was jumping around daft when Maradona scored. His second was one of the best goals I've ever seen. He was unbelievable in that tournament. You never think you will get the chance to meet the guy so I will be standing pretty close to him before the game."

Belief

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Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland are another nation hoping to return to a major finals in 2010 and long-serving goalkeeper Shay Given says the arrival of Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni has given the squad the belief that they can go all the way to the World Cup.

Given, who will lead out Ireland for tonight's friendly against Poland at Croke Park for what will be his 91st cap, said: "The manager has come in and given us a real belief that we can qualify from our group. It's all about qualifying for South Africa and there is confidence within the team that we can do the job."