Newcastle United's Nolberto Solano is determined to do his best to help Peru reach the 2006 World Cup Finals.

But he bemoans a lack of ambition in the Peruvian game and a failure to nurture existing talent and build a team worthy of succeeding Teofilo Cubillas' brilliant generation of the 1970s.

'I can never turn down my national team,' Solano told Reuters in an interview at his Newcastle home.

'The best thing that can happen to you is to play for your country,' said the wing back, who has 57 caps but has yet to play in the World Cup Finals.

'We are not like Argentina, Brazil, we don't have so many players as to enjoy the luxury of saying we won't play in the national team.'

Peru's last appearance in the World Cup Finals was in 1982 in Spain. Their biggest achievement was reaching the last eight in 1970 in Mexico after eliminating Argentina in a three-nation qualifying group the previous year.

The Peruvians lost to eventual winners Brazil in a thrilling 4-2 defeat in the quarter-final.

Eight years later, having failed to qualify for the 1974 Finals in West Germany, an aging Cubillas inspired Peru to a place in the second-round group stage in Argentina at the expense of Scotland.

South America altered their qualifying format in the mid-1990s with the 10 nations playing each other twice in a marathon round-robin of 18 fixtures. Peru have struggled under the system.

LONG FLIGHTS

To add to their woes, South American internationals based in Europe face long flights back home almost every month for the better part of two years and often find themselves in the middle of club versus country conflicts of interest.

'Unfortunately, having to go all the way back to South America is what is complicated for those of us who play here in Europe,' said Solano.

'What suits us 'weakest' teams in South America is the all-against-all round-robin format because we get chances to recover with so many matches.

'Divided into small groups doesn't suit us. If we get a tough group, it's bye bye.

'But on a personal level it suits me better so as not to have problems with my club (by going away less).'

Solano, 28, says it is now or never for him.

'This is my last chance to go to a World Cup because of my age. I'm going to make the most of it, I'm going to keep going (to the national team),' he said.

'We're going to fight to qualify but we don't have all that many players and it's going to be very tough.

'Ahead of us there are two almost certain candidates - Argentina and Brazil - because of their strength, standing, everything.

'Then Uruguay and Paraguay, and afterwards there's the rest of us to fight for a berth.'

South America have been given four fixed places in the 2006 Finals in Germany with the World Cup holders Brazil obliged to qualify for the first time.

'The league in Peru doesn't help much, there aren't many players,' said Solano.

'There are three of us in Europe - (Bayern Munich striker Claudio) Pizarro, (Andres) Mendoza who plays in Belgium (for Club Bruges) and maybe (Cesar) Rebosio, who plays in the Spanish Second Division (for Real Zaragoza).

'That's why Argentina and Brazil always stand out. Uruguay too, they have players in top-level competition, like (Paolo) Montero playing the Champions League every year and (Alvaro) Recoba at Inter-Milan.'

Solano, who began his career at Alianza Lima, one of Peru's big three clubs, before winning three successive league titles with Sporting Cristal, said only a few talented youngsters made the grade in his country.

SHAME

'Of my age group, the ones that were with me at Alianza, hardly any stayed (in the game). It's a shame because there was loads of talent.'

Solano spent a year playing for Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires before joining Newcastle in 1998.

MIDFIELDER Nolberto Solano and striker Claudio Pizarro said they were confident of ending their country's 24-year wait for a trip to the World Cup.

Both were in the team which failed to qualify for South Korea and Japan in 2002 but said they had learned from the experience.

'We hope that we can start and finish this year well, I believe that, united, we can reach our target of qualifying for the World Cup,' said Solano, back home training for tomorrow's friendly against Chile in Santiago.

'This is an important moment, but we must understand that this team does not depend just on one, we are eleven players and we all have give everything.'

Pizarro Added: 'This will be my second qualifying competition...I believe I've learned a lot from the last one and at Bayern.'

Peru are beginning a new era under Brazil's Paulo Autuori, who was named coach early this year.

They beat Haiti 5-1 on Autuori's debut.

Peru host Chile in a return match on Wednesday. - Reuters.