Argentina's Heinze to play warm-up against Angola

ROME, May 29 (Reuters) Defender Gabriel Heinze should be a certainty for Argentina in their World Cup warm-up against Angola in the Italian city of Salerno tomorrow's.

Heinze will be making his first proper outing since he damaged knee ligaments in a Champions League game for Manchester United last September and is in dire need of match practice.

''I'm fine, relaxed luckily,'' Heinze said as Argentina prepared in Rome for the friendly prior to their trip to their Nuremberg World Cup base on Wednesday.

''Now we have to keep working for the dream,'' he told Reuters looking forward to the tournament in which Argentina meet Ivory Coast, Serbia&Montenegro and the Netherlands in Group C.

Coach Jose Pekerman looked the friendly against African opposition as part of his preparations for Argentina's opening match against Ivory Coast in Hamburg on June 10.

''They're a good team, that's also why we chose them as rivals, not just because they're African,'' he said of Angola,who like Ivory Coast will be making their first appearance in the World Cup.

''They're a team with a very European game, rather like Ivory Coast,'' Pekerman told reporters.

''They have players who are not so well known by the public but those of us who have watched them see an interesting team.'' ngola face Portugal, Mexico and Iran in Group D.

''I hope they're tough rivals because it will do us good ahead of the first match (in Germany),'' utility defender Lionel Scaloni said.

''It's a measure to know where we stand,'' he added of Argentina's only warm-up for the tournament.

''Some say it's good to play more warm-up matches, others not to play any at all,'' he said. ''We have to be calm and with our minds focused of the opening match which is fundamental.''

REUTERS