Brazil legend Mario Zagallo said Colombia would prove difficult opponents for his country in their South American World Cup qualifing trip to Barranquilla on Saturday.

Zagallo had high praise for coach Francisco Maturana and Colombian football in general in comments to Tuesday's edition of Colombian newspaper El Pais.

"We know the potential of Colombia and I have always liked their style of football," Zagallo said. "Maturana knows perfectly well how to play Brazil, he is always well briefed on our team and hence it will be a very difficult match for Brazil."

The four-time World Cup winner - as a player in 1958 and 1962, as coach in 1970 and assistant coach in 1994, added Colombian football had really developed a great deal as was proved by their fourth place in the summer's Confederations Cup in France.

He added Brazil's first match towards qualifying for the German finals would be a litmus test for the side. "It is the first match in the next World Cup which is always a gauge of the quality of the side although it would be surprising if we were at the same level as at the last World Cup because of all the changes to the playing squad plus a different coach and backroom staff."

Zagallo believed Colombian striker Victor Aristizabal, who plays for Brazilian joint-leaders Santos, would be a key player, especially because of his knowledge of Brazilian football.

"We know a lot about Aristizabal and Aristizabal knows a lot about us but it's true he has never played the Brazil national side before," Zagallo said, adding he believed Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador in that order would directly qualify from the Conmebol confederation.