Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek wants his team to forget about its only previous World Cup appearance in 2002, when they lost all three games.
On the eve of Slovenia's Group C opening match of the 2010 tournament against Algeria, Kek said the quest for a first World Cup win should not put pressure on the team.
``There is no room for fear or agony, we play for our pride,'' Kek said Saturday after Slovenia completed its final training session at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
None of the 23 players in the current squad were on the roster when Slovenia lost to Spain, South Africa and Paraguay eight years ago.
``Every World Cup is a new challenge and I feel that my team is very motivated to do well,'' said Kek, who himself played once for the national team in 1992, a year after Slovenia gained independence from former Yugoslavia.
``We are ready. We've now arrived at the point we were hoping for,'' said the coach, who declined to give any insight into his lineup for the Algeria game.
``I am not going into details now as some doors as still open. No further comment,'' Kek said.
Slovenia qualified by beating Russia in the deciding playoffs and had convincing wins in recent warmup games against Qatar and New Zealand.
``The expectations are high,'' defender Bostjan Cesar said. ``We must try to keep up with the level we have shown in the recent past and then we'll be all right. We want that first victory.''
The Chievo defender has 42 caps and is one of the team's most experienced players.
``The Algeria game is very important to us,'' Cesar said. ``Algeria is a great team, they really deserve to be here. I know a few players pretty well.''
Kek agreed that Algeria shouldn't be underestimated, although England and the Unites States are seen as clear favorites to take the top two spots in Group C.
``Algeria is a high-quality competitor. They have a lot of experience, so we are facing a daunting challenge,'' Kek said. ``We might not be favorites but we will try to win every match.''
Kek said he didn't know exactly what to expect from his team's opening game on Sunday.
``If we do leave our hearts on the field, I will be very proud of this team,'' he said. ``We can only gain at this World Cup.''
