Bolivia call up 30 players for Russia 2018 qualifiers

Bolivia's national football coach Julio Cesar Baldivieso has called up 30 players for the matches to be played from October 8 when the qualifiers for the World Cup 2018 in Russia get under way.

Bolivia's national team will face Uruguay on home turf in the Hernando Siles stadium here and then they will travel to Quito to play Ecuador on October 13, reports Xinhua.

Among the called upon players are Fernando Martelli, Juan Carlos Arce, Samuel Galindo and Gabriel Rios on Thursday.

A total of 12 players come from the La Paz club teams Bolivar and The Strongest, six from each. Sports Boys de Santa Cruz have four in the national squad and Wilstermann de Cochabamba have three.

Baldivieso is looking for the players to feel "honoured" and "patriotic" for bearing the national flag on their chests.

For that reason, the coach has asked each player to visit Bolivia's military college at least once before the match against Uruguay. Baldivieso wants the players to observe the cadets' civic behaviour when they sing the national anthem.