Honduras pledge to battle for ´honour´

Central American minnows Honduras will battle for their “honour” and “dignity” despite an uphill task to stay in the World Cup, coach Reinaldo Rueda said Thursday.

Honduras, who play Switzerland in Bloemfontein on Friday, are rooted at the bottom of Group H after defeats against Chile and Spain and need an unlikely combination of events to see them through to the last 16.

“We would like to score three but we also depend on the result between Chile and Spain,” said Rueda.

“I think this is the match of honour, for our dignity. We wanted to come here and play better. We haven’t done very well so far.”

The coach said the team had suffered from a poor start to the tournament, adding a good first match was important to boost confidence.

The situation the side found themselves in was “painful and we are sad,” he added.

“We haven’t found our form somehow. We haven’t played to a high level,” Rueda said.

He admitted there were tensions in the camp, with some players frustrated at their lack of time on the pitch, but said this was normal.

Chile have a maximum six points, with Spain and Switzerland both on three points. Honduras, appearing in only their second World Cup finals, are yet to get off the mark.

Chile have a goal difference of plus two, with Spain on plus one, the Swiss on zero and Honduras on minus three.