Last Updated: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:33
Blackburn defender Zurab Khizanishvili claims his Georgia team-mates are determined to play in Wales despite trouble in their homeland.
Georgia has been rocked by the recent hostilities between themselves and Russia which has coincided with a planned friendly international against the Welsh at Swansea's Liberty Stadium on Wednesday. There was the prospect of the game being cancelled, but Khizanishvili says they will play in order to give a 'message' of defiance to the world.
He told the Lancashire Telegraph: "We will play the match as a message to the world, that Georgia is capable of doing so.
"More than 2,000 soldiers have been killed, plus people in the villages, maybe 5,000 in all. It is terrible.
"But playing this game is sending out a message to the world, we are a small country but we can show how big we are."
Khizanishvili added: "It is hard for us to play, to think about football considering what is happening in Georgia.
"But maybe things are starting to get better and within a few days the Russians will have left.
"It is hard for us, but we have to play the game.
"We cannot allow ourselves to feel that because of what is happening that we are not ready for the game, we have to play.
"The manager has asked us if we are ready, because he needs to know.
"But we have all said we will play, we want to send a message to Russia that we can do this.
"We also want to show our people and our supporters who will be in the stadium.
"We have a new manager, so we have to work together."