Brazil call up Fred and Jo for South Africa game

By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has added strikers Fred and Jo, and goalkeeper Jefferson to his squad for next month's friendly in South Africa, the Brazilian Football Confederation said on Monday. They completed a 19-man squad for the March 5 friendly, Brazil's last scheduled match before Scolari announces his 23-man World Cup squad on May 7. Fred, the 30-year old Fluminense striker, is Scolari's preferred option up front but has only just returned from the latest of a string of injuries. He has scored just once this year and missed a penalty in Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Botafogo. Atletico Mineiro forward Jo, meanwhile, was used as his back-up during the Confederation Cup. Both are now considered certainties to make the World Cup squad. "This is another opportunity to get the players together, the last call up before the World Cup," Scolari said. "It will be an important test against the African side who recently beat Spain and a good chance to talk to the players and the back room staff about planning for the competition." Scolari is taking a smaller squad because they will spend only one full day in South Africa before the game in Johannesburg and he does not want to take players who will not get a run-out. Brazil are hosting the World Cup this year for the first time since 1950 and they kick off the competition against Croatia on June 12. Mexico and Cameroon are the other two teams in Group A. (Editing by Ed Osmond) nL3N0LT3YX