LONDON, April 24: Hosts Britain, taking part in their first Olympic football event since 1960, will kick off the bid for gold against Senegal at Manchester United’s Old Trafford on July 26 after the draw was made at Wembley on Tuesday.

Senegal reached their first Olympics after beating Oman 2-0 in a playoff at the City of Coventry Stadium on Monday.

“It is such an honour to play against Britain in the opening match at Old Trafford,” Augustin Senghor, the president of the Senegalese FA, said.

“I know we were the last to arrive in these finals after the playoff last night, but I hope that we will not be the first to leave. We will also field our strongest team and see if our players at Newcastle like Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse can be involved.”

The men’s teams are made up of under-23 players with three over-age players permitted per squad.

Britain will also meet Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates in Group A.

Brazil, five-times World Cup winners but never Olympic champions and tipped for gold in the absence of title holders Argentina, face Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand in Group C as former striker Ronaldo drew them into a favorable group on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium.

Spain, gold medallists in 1992 and the world and European champions, take on Japan, Honduras and Morocco in Group D while seeded Mexico meet South Korea, Gabon and Switzerland in Group B.

The 16 teams in the men’s event will be split into four groups, with the top two from each qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Britain have not fielded an Olympic football team since 1960 because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland feared losing their independence within FIFA. The world body has assured the federations that their status won’t be affected by participating in the 16-team competition at the London Games.

“There might not be another Great Britain football team in our lifetime,” Britain men’s coach Stuart Pearce said. “It might be a one-off.”

Unlike most other Olympic events, which will take place in London, organisers have tried to make the football tournament a truly British competition by spreading games around the country.

So as well as playing the UAE at Wembley on July 29, Pearce’s men will also face Uruguay in the Welsh capital Cardiff on Aug 1.

Former England captain David Beckham, who played a leading role in the campaign to bring the Olympics to his home city of London, could feature in the British team as an over-age player.

“I’ll know a bit more about David Beckham’s chances when I go to the States and see him,” Pearce said following the draw.

“He’s been a great ambassador but that’s no guarantee he’ll get in the squad. I’m picking on form and merit alone.”

Group ‘A’: Great Britain, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay Group ‘B’: Mexico, South Korea, Gabon, Switzerland Group ‘C’: Brazil, Egypt, Belarus, New Zealand Group ‘D’: Spain, Japan, Honduras, Morocco Women’s Tournament: Group ‘E’: Great Britain, New Zealand, Cameroon, Brazil Group ‘F:’ Japan, Canada, Sweden, South Africa Group ‘G’: USA, France, Colombia, North Korea. —Agencies