Israel have the will to keep qualification dream alive

Group Four: So far in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying group the eight matches between the top four sides have ended in draws. In Basle this evening Switzerland and Israel will attempt to end that sequence of results, with a win enough to put either side top of the group.

If Israel win tonight and manage to take maximum points from their two remaining games, both against the Faroe Islands, they would finish their campaign on 20 points, leaving Ireland needing seven points from their final three games just to match that total.

The Swiss, meanwhile, would go two points clear of Ireland if they win tonight, with the same number of games played, but they have a more difficult run-in than Israel, with games against Cyprus (away), France (home) and Ireland (away) to come.

"If we can win we will be in a very good position for our remaining three games," said Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn. "A win would also reduce this four-team race to just three teams, because I don't think Israel can stay in contention if they fail to get a point from this match."

Israeli coach Avi Grant concedes a defeat would all but end his hopes of becoming only the second manager to lead an Israeli side to the World Cup finals (their only previous appearance was in 1970 in Mexico) and has been busy reading his history books in search of inspiration for his players.

In 1897, he discovered, Theodore Herzl, the man regarded as the founding father of modern Zionism, told a gathering of Jews: "If you will it, it is not a dream". The gathering, Grant informed the players, took place in Basle.

So, amongst those willing the team to success tonight is Israeli captain Avi Nimni. "I have played for the national team since I was 18 and we've had important games along the way, but the game against the Swiss is the most important game I've ever been involved in," he said.

Nimni believes a win will put the team within touching distance of the World Cup finals, or, at the very least, a place in the play-offs.

The Swiss, though, are unbeaten in nine games. They drew 2-2 with Israel in Tel Aviv last October, Yossi Benayoun, who has since joined West Ham, giving the Israelis an early lead before salvaging a point after Alexander Frei and Johan Vonlanthen had put the Swiss 2-1 up.

"I'm very excited about the game, this could be Israel's big day," Mordechai Spiegler, the only man to score a goal for Israel in the World Cup finals, told the Israeli press. "But if things don't go our way it will be just another day in the history of Israeli soccer."

SWITZERLAND (probable): Pascal Zuberb|hler; Ludovic Magnin, Patrick Mueller, Philippe Senderos, Philipp Degen; Tranquillo Barnetta, Johann Vogel, Hakan Yakin; Ricardo Cabanas, Alex Frei, Johan Vonlanthen;

ISRAEL (probable): Nir Davidovich or Dudu Awate; Klemi Saban, Shimon Gershon, Arik Benado, Tal Ben Haim or Alon Harazi, Adoram Keisi; Walid Badir, Idan Tal, Avi Nimni, Yossi Benayoun; Yaniv Katan.

Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)