Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

 Back to Article

 

Teams: ENGLAND (8), UNITED STATES (14), SLOVENIA (25), ALGERIA (30)

England are the favourites to win Group C, with United States and Slovenia expected to fight for second place, though only Algeria are also quite capable of troubling all the other three teams and earn a surprise berth for themselves in the knock-out stage.

Previous World Cups: 1950 – R1, 1954 – QF, 1958 – R1, 1962 – QF, 1966 (hosts) – Winners, 1970 – QF, 1982 – PQF, 1986 – QF, 1990 – SF (4^th), 1998 – PQF, 2002 – QF, 2006 – QF.

2010 – qualified on Sep-09, 2009; 9^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Fabio CAPELLO (ITA – age 64)

01. David JAMES (G – age 39) Portsmouth (ENG) (02) (06)

02. Glen JOHNSON (D – age 25) Liverpool (ENG)

03. Ashley COLE (D – age 29) Chelsea (ENG) (02) (06)

04. Steven GERRARD (M – age 30) Liverpool (ENG) (C) (06)

05. Michael DAWSON (D – age 26) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

06. John TERRY (D – age 29) Chelsea (ENG) (06)

07. Aaron LENNON (M – age 23) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) (06)

08. Frank LAMPARD (M – age 32) Chelsea (ENG) (06)

09. Peter CROUCH (F – age 29) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) (06)

10. Wayne ROONEY (F – age 24) Manchester United (ENG) (06)

11. Joe COLE (M – age 28) Chelsea (ENG) (02) (06)

12. Robert GREEN (G – age 30) West Ham United (ENG)

13. Stephen WARNOCK (D – age 28) Aston Villa (ENG)

14. Gareth BARRY (M – age 29) Manchester City (ENG)

15. Matthew UPSON (D – age 31) West Ham United (ENG)

16. James MILNER (M – age 24) Aston Villa (ENG)

17. Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (M – age 28) Manchester City (ENG)

18. Jamie CARRAGHER (D – age 32) Liverpool (ENG) (06)

19. Jermain DEFOE (F – age 27) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

20. Ledley KING (D – age 29) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

21. Emile HESKEY (F – age 32) Aston Villa (ENG) (02)

22. Michael CARRICK (M – age 28) Manchester United (ENG) (06)

23. Joe HART (G – age 23) Manchester City (ENG)

Fabio Capello’s England were most impressive in qualification, and are being considered one of the favourites to win the trophy by many pundits. There strength lie in the successful amalgamation of Italian style and technique with the usual English running game that was so apparent in some of their qualifying matches.

England always have had quality goalkeepers, and this time Robert Green of West Ham is expected to be the first choice, though veteran David James, playing in his third Cup, could also start. Young Joe Hart of Manchester City is the third keeper.

The heart of the defence will be manned by the duo of former captain John Terry of Chelsea and possibly Ledley King of Spurs. Glenn Johnson of Liverpool and Ashley Cole of Chelsea, now fully fit, are likely to be the side backs – both are good defenders as well as splendid attackers. Matthew Upson of West Ham, Jamie Carragher of Liverpool and the inexperienced Michael Dawson of Tottenham Stephen Warnock of Aston Villa shall cover for the top four in defence.

England’s midfield shall largely depend on how Chelsea’s Frank Lampard gels with captain Steven Gerrard of Liverpool. Joe Cole of Chelsea is back from injury and could create some magic with his sublime skills. Aaron Lennon of Spurs and Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips are the recognised wingers in the squad, though the energetic James Milner of Aston Villa could also fill that role if required. Gareth Barry of Manchester City is a much improved player under Capello, and if fit, can lend much needed solidity to the midfield. Otherwise Michael Carrick of Manchester United can step into the holding role.

The attack revolves mostly round Wayne Rooney of Manchester United – one of the best English strikers in history. If he plays at his best then England can beat any team on a given day. The tall gangling Peter Crouch could be his partner up front. Crouch never looks like a truly international class striker, yet his scoring record for England is one of the best ever. Jermain Defoe, Crouch’s club mate from Spurs and Emile Heskey are there for cover.

Previous World Cups: 1930 – SF (3^rd), 1934 – R1, 1950 – R1, 1990 – R1, 1994 (hosts) – PQF, 1998 – R1, 2002 – QF, 2006 – R1.

2010 – qualified on Oct-10, 2009; 19^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Bob BRADLEY (USA – age 52)

01. Tim HOWARD (G – age 31) Everton (ENG) (06)

02. Jonathan SPECTOR (D – age 24) West Ham United (ENG)

03. Carlos BOCANEGRA (D – age 31) Rennes (FRA) (C) (06)

04. Michael BRADLEY (M – age 22) Borussia Monchengladbach (GER)

05. Oguchi ONYEWU (D – age 28) AC Milan (ITA) (06)

06. Steve CHERUNDOLO (D – age 31) Hannover (GER) (02) (06)

07. DaMarcus BEASLEY (M – age 28) Glasgow Rangers (SCO) (02) (06)

08. Clint DEMPSEY (M – age 27) Fulham (ENG) (06)

09. Herculez GOMEZ (F – age 28) Puebla (MEX)

10. Landon DONOVAN (M – age 28) Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) (02) (06)

11. Stuart HOLDEN (M – age 24) Bolton Wanderers (ENG)

12. Jonathan BORNSTEIN (D – age 25) Chivas (USA)

13. Ricardo CLARK(M – age 27) Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

14. Edson BUDDLE (F – age 29) Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)

15. Jay DEMERIT (D – age 30) Watford (ENG)

16. Francisco TORRES (M – age 22) Pachuca (MEX)

17. Jozy ALTIDORE (F – age 20) Hull City (ENG)

18. Brad GUZAN (G – age 25) Aston Villa (ENG)

19. Maurice EDU (M – age 24) Glasgow Rangers (SCO)

20. Robbie FINDLEY (F – age 24) Real Salt Lake (USA)

21. Clarence GOODSON (D – age 28) Start (NOR)

22. Benny FEILHABER (M – age 25) Aarhus (DEN)

23. Marcus HAHNEMANN (G – age 38) Wolverhampton Wanderers (ENG) (06)

United States are one of the most under-rated teams in world football today. Their FIFA ranking and their performance in the last Confederations’ Cup (where they reached the final) merit praise, yet most pundits are writing them off as also-rans even before the start of the competition.

Tim Howard of Everton is likely to be the first choice keeper in the Finals, with Marcus Hahnemann of Wolves and Brad Guzan of Aston Villa as his understudies. All are experienced and skilful keepers.

In defence the captain Carlos Bocanegra is an experienced player, as are players like Steve Cherundolo of Hannover, playing in his third Cup, and Oguchi Onyewu of Milan. They shall be ably supported by Jonathan Spector of West Ham, Jay DeMerit of Watford, and Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas. Between them they give the American defence much strength and character, as was demonstrated in the Confederations’ Cup.

The midfield general for the Americans is Landon Donovan of LA Galaxy, playing in his third cup. Other important players in the US midfield are Clint Dempsey of Fulham, DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu of Rangers, Ricardo Clark of Frankfurt and Benny Feilhaber of Aarhus. Michael Bradley of Monchengladbach, son of coach Bob, is also a splendid young midfielder.

The attack will rely heavily on young Jozy Altidore of Hull City, who was quite a revelation during the Confederations’ Cup. The other forwards in the squad are all quiet inexperienced, though Herculez Gomez of Puebla is considered a great prospect.

2010 – qualified on Nov-18, 2009 –30^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Matjaz KEK (SVN – age 48)

01. Samir HANDANOVIC (G – age 25) Udinese (ITA)

02. Miso BRECKO (D – age 26) Cologne (GER)

03. Elvedin  DZINIC (D – age 24) Maribor (SVN)

04. Marko SULER (D – age 27) Gent (BEL)

05. Bostjan CESAR (D – age 27) Grenoble (FRA)

06. Branko ILIC (D – age 27) Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)

07. Nejc PECNIK (F – age 24) Nacional (POR)

08. Robert KOREN (M – age 29) West Bromwich Albion (ENG) (C)

09. Zlatan LJUBIJANKIC (F – age 26) Gent (BEL)

10. Valter BIRSA (F – age 23) Auxerre (FRA)

11. Milivoje NOVAKOVIC (F – age 31) Cologne (GER)

12. Jasmin HANDANOVIC (G – age 32) Mantova (ITA)

13. Bojan JOKIC (D – age 24) Chievo (ITA)

14. Zlatko DEDIC (F – age 26) Bochum (GER)

15. Rene KRHIN (M – age 20) Inter Milan (ITA)

16. Aleksander SELIGA (G – age 30) Sparta Rotterdam (NED)

17. Andraz KIRM (M – age 25) Wisla Krakow (POL)

18. Aleksander RADOSAVLJEVIC (M – age 31) Larissa (GRE)

19. Suad FILEKOVIC (D – age 31) Maribor (SVN)

20. Andrej KOMAC (M – age 30) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR)

21. Dalibor STEVANOVIC (M – age 25) Vitesse (NED)

22. Matej MAVRIC (D – age 31) Koblenz (GER)

23. Tim MATAVZ (F – age 21) Groningen (NED)

Slovenia qualified by defeating fancied Russia in the European Play-offs to underline their growth as a major European football team. The team appears well balanced, consisting of a few very skilful players who are undoubtedly keen to make a mark in the World Cup. This makes Slovenia a dangerous opponent in the forthcoming competition.

The acrobatic Samir Handanovic of Udinese is the main goalkeeper for Slovenia. His understudy is his elder cousin Jasmin Handanovic of Mantova. The third keeper is Aleksander Seliga of Sparta Rotterdam.

The core of the solid Slovenian defence is formed by Branko Ilic of Lokomotiv Moscow, Bojan Jokic of Chievo, Bostjan Cesar of Grenoble and Miso Brecko of Cologne. Marko Suler of Gent and Matej Mavric of Koblenz provide adequate cover.

The midfield is controlled by the captain Robert Koren of WBA. Andraz Kirm of Wisla is another influential player in midfield, while Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Andrej Komac provides experience and skills. Dalibor Stevanovic of Vitesse is another rising talent, regarded very highly in French football.

Up front, Germany based Zlatko Dedic of Bochum and Milivoje Novakovic of Cologne form a fairly lethal attacking duo, backed up by Valter Birsa of Auxerre and Zlatan Ljubijankic of Gent.

All in all, Slovenia have the team and players to produce entertaining football and challenge strongly for a berth in the knock-out stage.

Previous World Cups: 1982 – R1, 1986 – R1.

2010 – qualified on Nov-18, 2009; 27^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Rabah SADAANE (ALG – age 64)

01. Lounes GAOUAOUI (G – age 32) ASO Chlef (ALG)

02. Madjid BOUGHERRA (D – age 27) Glasgow Rangers (SCO)

03. Nadir BELHADJ (D – age 28) Portsmouth (ENG)

04. Antar YAHIA (D – age 28) Bochum (GER)

05. Rafik HALLICHE (D – age 23) Nacional (POR)

06. Yazid MANSOURI (M – age 32) Lorient (FRA) (C)

07. Ryad BOUDEBOUZ (M – age 20) Sochaux (FRA)

08. Mehdi LACEN (M – age 26) Racing Satander (ESP)

09. Abdelkader GHEZZAL (F – age 25) Siena (ITA)

10. Rafik SAIFI (F – age 35) Istres (FRA)

11. Rafik DJEBBOUR (F – age 26) AEK Athens (GRE)

12. Habib BELLAID (D – age 24) Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

13. Karim MATMOUR (F – age 25) Borussia Monchengladbach (GER)

14. Abdelkader LAIFAOUI (D – age 28) ES Setif (ALG)

15. Karim ZIANI (M – age 27) Wolfsburg (GER)

16. Faouzi CHAOUCHI (G – age 25) ES Setif (ALG)

17. Adlene GUEDIOURA (M – age 24) Wolverhampton Wanderers (ENG)

18. Carl MEDJANI (D – age 25) Ajaccio (FRA)

19. Hassan YEBDA (M – age 26) Portsmouth (ENG)

20. Djamel MESBAH (M – age 25) Lecce (ITA)

21. Foued KADIR (M – age 26) Valenciennes (FRA)

22. Djamal ABDOUN (M – age 24) Nantes (FRA)

23. Rais M’BOHLI (G – age 24) Slavia Sofia (BUL)

The Algerian team is primarily made up of players based in Europe, many of them being French by birth. Their hard earned place in the Finals was achieved after a superb display against Egypt in the Play-off, and it send signals to their opponents that they are going to be very competitive, to say the least.

In Lounes Gaouaoui Algeria have one of the finest goalkeepers in African football, particularly famous for his spectacular leaps to collect aerial balls. Faouzi Chaouchi is an able understudy, playing particularly well in the play-off match against Egypt in Gaouaoui’s absence. Rais M’Bohli of Slavia Sofia is the third keeper.

The Algerian defence is also more than competent, with British based players in Nadir Belhadj of Portsmouth and Madjid Bougherra of Rangers. Bochum’s Antar Yahia is another solid defender, as is young Rafik Halliche of Nacional. Yahia is also adept in scoring from set pieces – he also scored the winning goal against Egypt.

The captain Yazid Mansouri of Lorient is their midfield general who can control the game almost at will. Around him there are talented and creative players like Karim Ziani of Wolfsburg and Hassan Yebda of Portsmouth.

The veteran striker Rafik Saifi of Istres is now 35, but he is still capable of troubling any defence. Alongside him young Rafik Djebbour of AEK, Karim Matmour of Monchengladbach and Abdelkader Ghezzal of Siena are three other skilful forwards.

With all these skilled players, Algeria are hoping to make a mark in the first ever African World Cup.

 Back to Article

 

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

 

 Back to Article

 

Teams: GERMANY (6), SERBIA (15), AUSTRALIA (20), GHANA (32)

Germany are favourites to win this group, and Serbia are expected to accompany them in the next round. But both Australia and Ghana are strong teams quite capable of upsetting the top two, makin this group potentially the most competitive group in this year’s World Cup.

Previous World Cups: 1934 – SF (3^rd), 1938 – R1, 1954 – Winners, 1958 – SF (4^th), 1962 – QF, 1966 – Runners’ up, 1970 – SF (3^rd), 1974 (hosts) – Winners, 1978 – PQF, 1982 – Runners’ up, 1986 – Runners’ up, 1990 – Winners, 1994 – QF, 1998 – QF, 2002 – Runners’ up, 2006 – SF (3^rd).

2010 – qualified on Oct-10, 2009; 12^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Joachim LOW (GER – age 50)

07. Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER (M – age 25) Bayern Munich (GER) (06)

11. Miroslav KLOSE (F – age 32) Bayern Munich (GER) (02) (06)

16. Philipp LAMM (D – age 26) Bayern Munich (GER) (C) (06)

The loss of Michael Ballack and a few other players through injury may cost Germany plenty during the forthcoming World Cup, but still they are expected to do well, as German teams invariably do in major competitions. For starters, they are clear favourites to win Group D.

In goal Germany seem to have a real weakness with the lack of true international class keepers, forcing Joachim Low to recall the Bayern veteran Hans-Joerg Butt. The other keepers in the squad are both competent, though inexperienced.

The defence have a few experienced players, led by captain Philipp Lamm of Bayern, one of the best full backs in the world. In Arne Friedrich of Hertha, Per Mertesacker of Bremen and Marcell Jansen of Hamburg, they have players with previous World Cup experience. Alongside these, they also have a crop of young talents like Serdar Tasci of Stuttgart, Jerome Boateng and Dennis Aogo of Hamburg and Holger Badstuber of Bayern.

In midfield, without the leadership of Ballack, Germany look a bit thin, but they still boast of such players as Bastian Schweinsteiger of Bayern and Piotr Trochowski of Hamburg, both of whom possess the ability to turn a game on their own.

Miroslav Klose of Bayern, playing in his third Cup, leads the German attack, alongside the brilliant Lukas Podolski of Cologne. Brazilian Cacau Barreto of Stuttgart is another who can make a mark in these finals. Mario Gomez of Bayern is a splendid cover for the frontline strikers.

But apart from players, the traditional German strengths of organisation and discipline are also going to play a major part in the team’s performance, as also their never-say-die attitude.

11^th World Cup Finals (1^st as SERBIA).

Previous World Cups: (1930 to 2002 as YUGOSLAVIA, 2006 as SERBIA & MONTENEGRO) 1930 – SF (4^th), 1950 – R1, 1954 – QF, 1958 – QF, 1962 – SF (4^th), 1974 – PQF, 1982 – R1, 1990 – QF, 1994 (hosts) – PQF, 1998 – PQF, 2006 – R1.

2010 – qualified on Oct-10, 2009; 14^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Radomir ANTIC (SRB – age 61)

01. Vladimir STOJKOVIC (G – age 26) Wigan Athletic (ENG) (06)

02. Antonio RUKAVINA (D – age 26) 1860 Munich (GER)

03. Aleksandar KOLAROV (D – age 24) Lazio Roma (ITA)

04. Gojko KACAR (M – age 23) Hertha Berlin (GER)

05. Nemanja VIDIC (D – age 28) Manchester United (ENG) (06)

06. Branislav IVANOVIC (D – age 26) Chelsea (ENG)

07. Zoran TOSIC (M – age 23) Cologne (GER)

08. Danko LAZOVIC (F – age 27) Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)

09. Marko PANTELIC (F – age 31) Ajax Amsterdam (NED)

10. Dejan STANKOVIC (M – age 31) Inter Milan (ITA) (C) (98) (06)

11. Nenad MILIJAS (M – age 27) Wolverhampton Wanderers (ENG)

12. Bojan ISAILOVIC (G – age 30) Zaglebie Lubin (POL)

13. Aleksandar LUKOVIC (D – age 27) Udinese (ITA)

15. Nocola ZIGIC (F – age 29) Valencia (ESP) (06)

16. Ivan OBRADOVIC (D – age 21) Real Zaragoza (ESP)

17. Milos KRASIC (M – age 25) CSKA Moscow (RUS)

18. Milos NINKOVIC (M – age 25) Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

19. Radosav PETROVIC (M – age 21) Partizan Belgrade (SRB)

20. Neven SUBOTIC (D – age 21) Borussia Dortmund (GER)

21. Dragan MRDA (F – age 26) Vojvodina (SRB)

22. Zdravko KUZMANOVIC (M – age 22) Stuttgart (GER)

23. Andelko DURICIC (G – age 29) Uniao Leiria (POR)

Serbia have the ability and the skill to emerge as one of the dark horses of the competition. Their performance in the qualifiers have left experts with no doubt that they are at least capable of troubling any team on their day.

In Vladimir Stojkovic of Wigan, Serbia have an excellent keeper, in front of a well organised defence. Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United leads the defence – having established himself as a truly accomplished international class defender. Alongside him Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea is another splendid defender. Others to watch in the Serbian defence are Aleksandar Lukovic of Udinese, Antonio Rukavina of Munich and Neven Subotic of Dortmund.

The midfield dynamo is the veteran captain Dejan Stankovic of Inter Milan. He will be ably assisted by the likes of Milan Jovanovic of Liege, Milos Krasic of CSKA Moscow, Nenad Milijas of Wolves and Zoran Tosic of Cologne. Gojko Kacar of Hertha Berlin is another talented midfielder.

The attack relies heavily on Marko Pantelic of Ajax and Nikola Zigic of Valencia, with Danko Lazovic of Zenit also laying his claims for a place in the first eleven.

Serbian supporters are looking forward to some Balkan magic from their squad, and the team could well provide it.

2010 – qualified on Jun-06, 2009; 3^rd team to qualify.

Head Coach: Pim VERBEEK (NED – age 54)

02. Lucas NEILL (D – age 32) Galatasaray (TUR) (C) (06)

Australia were placed in the Asian Zone this time, and they qualified quite easily. They have come to the finals with an experienced squad, with 14 of their players from the 2002 squad that did so well. There are quiet expectations that Australia will do even better this time.

The splendid Mark Schwarzer of Fulham is a veritable tower of strength in the Oz goal, with Adam Federici of Reading and Brad Jones of Middlesbrough as capable deputies.

The defence is also full of players with plenty of big-match experience. Captain Lucas Neill of Galatasaray, Craig Moore of Kavala, Michael Beauchamp of Al Jazira, Luke Wilkshire of Dynamo Moscow, Scott Chipperfield of Basel and Mark Milligan of JEF United are all from the 2002 squad. David Carney of Twente is another talented defender.

The midfield powerhouse is Tim Cahill of Everton, who is now fully fit. Marco Bresciano of Palermo, Jason Culina of Gold Coast and Brett Emerton and Vince Grella of Blackburn are also experienced campaigners. Duisberg’s Dario Vidosic is an exciting prospect, while Richard Garcia of Hull is another skilful player.

Harry Kewell of Galatasaray is expected to lead the Oz attack, alongside Josh kennedy of Nagoya. Brett Holman of Alkmaar is also a superb striker.

2010 – qualified on Sep-06, 2009 –8^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Milovan RAJEVAC (SRB – age 56)

01. Daniel ADJEI (G – age 20) Liberty (GHA)

02. Hans SARPEI (D – age 34) Bayer Leverkusen (GER) (06)

03. Asamoah GYAN (F – age 24) Rennes (FRA) (06)

04. John PAINTSIL (D – age 29) Fulham (ENG) (06)

05. John MENSAH (D – age 27) Sunderland (ENG) (06)

06. Anthony ANNAN (M – age 23) Rosenborg (NOR)

07. Samuel INKOOM (D – age 20) Basel (SUI)

08. Jonathan MENSAH (D – age 19) Free State Stars (RSA)

09. Derek BOATENG (M – age 27) Getafe (ESP) (06)

10. Stephen APPIAH (M – age 29) Bologna (ITA) (C) (06)

11. Sulley MUNTARI (M – age 25) Inter Milan (ITA) (06)

12. Prince TAGOE (F – age 23) Hoffenheim (GER)

13. Andre AYEW (M – age 20) Arles-Avignon (FRA)

14. Matthew AMOAH (F – age 29) NAC Breda (NED) (06)

15. Isaac VORSAH (D – age 22) Hoffenheim (GER)

16. Stephen AHORLU (G – age 21) Heart of Lions (GHA)

17. Abdul Rahim AYEW (D – age 22) Zamalek (EGY)

18. Dominic ADIYIAH (F – age 20) AC Milan (ITA)

19. Lee ADDY (D – age 24) Bechem Chelsea (GHA)

20. Qunicy OWUSU-ABEYIE (M – age 24) Al Sadd (QAT)

21. Kwadwo ASAMOAH (M – age 21) Udinese (ITA)

22. Richard KINGSON (G – age 32) Wigan Athletic (ENG) (06)

23. Kevin-Prince BOATENG (M – age 23) Portsmouth (ENG)

Ghana was the first African team to qualify (apart from the hosts, of course). However, their talismanic midfielder Michael Essien of Chelsea is injured, and will miss the Cup. In spite of that heavy blow, Ghana supporters are expecting their team to do well, as there is no dearth of talent in the squad.

Richard Kingson of Wigan is expected to keep goal for Ghana – he is a competent and experienced keeper. In front of him, the defence is also quite strong, full of players with top level European experience. Players like John Paintsil of Fulham, John Mensah of Sunderland and Hans Sarpei of Leverkusen will give the defense solidity, while youngsters like Samuel Inkoom of Basel, Isaac Vorsah of Hoffenheim and Abdul Rahim Ayew are also very talented.

The captain Stephen Appiah of Bologna is now Ghana’s midfield general, in the absence of Essien. He has the talent and the experience to carry his team. Sulley Muntari of Inter is also going to be an important cog in the wheel, while Derek Boateng og Getafe, Anthony Annan of Rosenborg, Kwadwo Asamoah of Udinese are also skilled midfielders. Also vying for places are Kevin-Prince Boateng of Portsmouth and the highly rated Andre Ayew of Arles-Avignon, the son of the legendary Abedi Pele.

The attack revolves round Asamoah Gyan of Rennes and Matthew Amoah of Breda. Prince Tagoe of Hoffenheim is also rated highly, while young Dominic Adiyiah of Milan is an exciting talent on whom experts in Italy have great hopes.

All these factors, as well as a Cup in their home continent make Ghana a formidable opposition for any team.

 Back to Article

 

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

 Back to Article

 

 

The Netherlands are the clear favourites too win Group E. Denmark and Cameroon are expected to fight for second place, while Japan are the potential chopping blocks.

Previous World Cups: 1934 – R1, 1938 – R1, 1974 – Runners’ up, 1978 – Runners’ up, 1990 – PQF, 1994 – QF, 1998 – SF (4^th), 2006 – PQF.

2010 – qualified on Jun-06, 2009; 5^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Bert VAN MARWIJK (NED – age 58)

01. Maarten STEKELENBURG (G – age 27) Ajax Amsterdam (NED) (06)

02. Gregory VAN DER WIEL (D – age 22) Ajax Amsterdam (NED)

05. Giovanni VAN BRONCKHORST (D – age 35) Feyenoord (NED) (C) (98) (06)

13. Andre OOIJER (D – age 35) PSV Eindhoven (NED) (98) (06)

14. Demy DE ZEEUW (M – age 27) Ajax Amsterdam (NED)

19. Ryan BABEL(F – age 23) Liverpool (ENG) (06)

The Netherlands were the first European team to qualify for these finals. They were absolutely splendid in qualification, and their current form make them a probable contender for the title.

In the absence of Edwin van der Saar of Manchester United, the experienced Maarten Stekelenburg of Ajax will be their keeper in South Africa. His deputies shall be the largely untried Michel Vorm of Utrecht and Sander Boschker of Twente.

The defence looks solid and experienced, with captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Feyenoord the kingpin. Alongside him are players like Khalied Boulahrouz of Stuttgart, Andre Ooijer of PSV, John Heitinga of Everton and Joris Mathijsen of Hamburg, making the Dutch defence potentially one of the best in the finals.

The midfield is as formidable as the defence, led by the in-form Wesley Sneijder of Inter and Mark van Bommel of Bayern. Nigel de Jong of Manchester City plays the central holding role, while Rafael van der Vaart of Real Madrid can weave magical passes to all corners of the field. Young talents like Ibrahim Afellay of PSV, Stijn Schaars of Alkmaar and Demy de Zeeuw of Ajax are also waiting to ply their wares.

The attack has wide players like Arjen Robben of Bayern, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel of Liverpool to provide service for classy strikers like Robin van Persie of Arsenal and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Milan. Eljero Elia of Hamburg is also a talented striker.

All in all, the Duch team seems to possess a truly talented bunch of footballers quite capable of reproducing their golden form of the 70s.

6^th World Cup Finals (1^st as SERBIA).

Previous World Cups: 1982 – R1, 1990 – QF, 1994 – R1, 1998 – R1, 2002 – R1.

2010 – qualified on Nov-14, 2009; 25^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Paul LE GUEN (FRA – age 46)

02. Benoit ASSOU-EKOTTO (D – age 26) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

04. Rigobert SONG (D – age 33) Trabzonspor (TUR) (94) (98) (02)

05. Sebastien BASSONG (D – age 23) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

09. Samuel ETO’O (F – age 29) Inter Milan (ITA) (C) (98) (02)

23. Vincent ABOUBAKAR (F – age 18) Cotonsport Garoua (CMR)

Cameroon will be playing in their 6^th World Cup and will be hoping to repeat, if not better, their best performance of reaching the quarter finals in 1990 in this first finals in Africa. They have several world class players, it is now only a question of peaking in tandem and playing as a team.

Cameroon have always had great goalkeepers, and this time Idriss Carlos Kameni of Espanyol will try to exhibit his sublime skills to the world. His deputy Souleymanou Hamidou of Kayserispor is also a splendid keeper.

The former captain Rigobert Song of Trabzonspor will be playing in his 4^th Cup and will lead the defence. Alongside him are the Tottenham pair of Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto and the experienced Geremi Njitap of Ankaragucu. Stephane Mbia of Marseilles is another solid defender.

Young Alexandre Song of Arsenal is expected to be the midfield general, alongside such talents like Jean Makoum of Lyon and Landry N’Guemo of Celtic. Eyong Enoh of Ajax is another talented young midfielder.

The attack is led by the captain Samuel Eto’o of Inter, arguably the best striker in Africa today. Supporting him shall be Achille Emana of Real Betis and Pierre Webo of Mallorca. Mohammadou Idrissou of Freiburg is another striker in form for his club.

Previous World Cups: 1986 – PQF, 1998 – QF, 2002 – PQF.

2010 – qualified on Oct-10, 2009; 15^th team to qualify.

Head Coach: Morten OLSEN (DEN – age 60)

01. Thomas SORENSEN (G – age 34) Stoke City (ENG) (02)

02. Christian POULSEN (M – age 30) Juventus (ITA) (02)

03. Simon KJAER (D – age 21) Palermo (ITA)

04. Daniel AGGER (D – age 25) Liverpool (ENG)

05. William KVIST (D – age 25) Copenhagen (DEN)

06. Lars JACOBSEN (D – age 30) Blackburn Rovers (ENG)

07. Daniel JENSEN (M – age 31) Werder Bremen (GER)

08. Jesper GRONKJAER (M – age 32) Copenhagen (DEN) (02)

09. Jon Dahl TOMASSON (F – age 33) Feyenoord (NED) (C) (02)

10. Martin JORGENSEN (M – age 34) Aarhus (DEN) (98) (02)

11. Nicklas BENDTNER (F – age 22) Arsenal (ENG)

12. Thomas KAHLENBERG (M – age 27) Wolfsburg (GER)

13. Peter KROLDRUP (D – age 30) Fiorentina (ITA)

14. Jakob POULSEN (M – age 26) Aarhus (DEN)

15. Simon POULSEN (D – age 25) Alkmaar Z (NED)

16. Stefan ANDERSEN (G – age 28) Brondby (DEN)

17. Mikkel BECKMANN (M – age 26) Randers (DEN)

18. Soren LARSEN (F – age 28) Duisburg (GER)

19. Dennis ROMMEDAHL (M – age 31) Ajax Amsterdam (NED) (02)

20. Thomas ENEVOLDSEN (M – age 22) Groningen (NED)

21. Christian ERIKSEN (M – age 18) Ajax Amsterdam (NED)

22. Jesper CHRISTIANSEN (G – age 32) Copenhagen (DEN)

23. Patrick MTILIGA (D – age 29) Malaga (ESP)

Denmark were the surprise team of the European qualifying zone in the ease with which they eventually qualified from a tough group. They have competent footballers in all departments and are likely to provide stiff opposition to any team they play.

Stoke City’s Thomas Sorensen is a wonderful goalkeeper who on his day can be as good as anyone. He has capable deputies in Jesper Christiansen of Copenhagen and Stefan Andersen of Brondby.

Daniel Agger of Liverpool plays a central role in the Danish defence, alongside such splendid defenders like Lars Jacobsen of Blackburn, Per Kroldrup of Fiorentina and Simon Kjaer of Palermo. Defensive midfielder Christian Poulsen of Juventus also helps in the solidity of the defense.

Martin Jorgensen of Aarhus, Daniel Jensen of Bremen and Thomas Kahlenberg of Wolfsburg form the backbone of the Danish midfield. The highly experienced Dennis Rommedahl of Ajax and Jesper Gronkjaer of Copenhagen provide the width with their adept wing-play.

The attack contains the experienced captain Jon Dahl Tomasson, one of the best Danish strikers in years. Young Nicklas Bendtner of Arsenal has also developed into a superb striker. But the most influential striker for Denmark in South Africa could well be Soren Larsen of Duisberg, who has been in lethal form recently.

Previous World Cups: 1998 – R1, 2002 (hosts) – PQF, 2006 – R1.

2010 – qualified on Jun-06, 2009 –2^nd team to qualify.

Head Coach: Takeshi OKADA (JPN – age 53)

01. Seigo NARAZAKI (G – age 34) Nagoya Grampus (JPN) (98) (02) (06)

02. Yuki ABE (M – age 28) Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)

03. Yuichi KOMANO (D – age 28) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) (06)

04. Marcus Tulio TANAKA (D – age 29) Nagoya Grampus (JPN)

05. Yuto NAGATOMO (D – age 23) Tokyo (JPN)

06. Atsuto UCHIDA (D – age 22) Kashima Antlers (JPN)

07. Yasuhito ENDO (M – age 30) Gamba Osaka (JPN) (06)

08. Daisuke MATSUI (M – age 29) Grenoble (FRA)

09. Shinji OKAZAKI(F – age 24) Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN)

10. Shunsuke NAKAMURA (M – age 32) Yokohama Marinos (JPN) (06)

11. Keiji TAMADA (F – age 30) Nagoya Grampus (JPN) (06)

12. Kisho YANO (F – age 26) Albirex Niigata (JPN)

13. Daiki IWAMASA (D – age 28) Kashima Antlers (JPN)

14. Kengo NAKAMURA (M – age 29) Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)

15. Yasuyuki KONNO (D – age 27) Tokyo (JPN)

16. Yoshito OKUBO (F – age 28) Vissel Kobe (JPN)

17. Makoto HASEBE (M – age 26) Wolfsburg (GER) (C)

18. Keisuke HONDA (M – age 24) CSKA Moscow (RUS)

19. Takayuki MORIMOTO (F – age 22) Catania (ITA)

20. Junichi INAMOTO (M – age 30) Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) (02) (06)

21. Eiji KAWASHIMA (G – age 27) Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)

22. Yuji NAKAZAWA (D – age 32) Yokohama Marinos (JPN) (06)

23. Yoshikatsu KAWAGUCHI(G – age 34) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) (98) (02) (06)

Even their strongest supporters aren’t expecting Japan to progress beyond the group stage. However, they do possess some fine footballers to cause problems for any team, as they have demonstrated in their warm-up matches.

In Seigo Narazaki of Nagoya and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi of Iwata, Japan have two experienced goalkeepers who have both appeared in their three previous Cup finals. Kawaguchi played in all Japan’s matches in 1998 and 2006, while Narazaki played in all four matches in 2002, and is also expected to be the first choice this time.

The Japanese defence is fast, fit and well organised. With players like Yuichi Komano of Iwata, Marcus Tulio Tanaka of Nagoya and the veteran Yuji Nakazawa of Yokohama, they also have the experience to combat most attacks.

The midfield is Japan’s strength, with the experienced and skilled Shunsuke Nakamura of Yokohama very much the kingpin, along with Junichi Inamoto and Kengo Nakamura of Kawasaki. Yashuhito Endo of Osaka and the young captain Makoto Hasebe of Wolfsburg are other men to watch. Another young midfielder Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow is also highly rated. Yuki Abe of Urawa is also in the running for a place in the team.

In attack lies Japan’s weakness, perhaps. They lack a super striker who can really trouble opposition defence regularly. Yet, players like the experienced Keiji Tamada of Nagoya, Yoshito Okubo of Kobe and the young Shinji Okazaki of Shimizu will try and rise to the occasion. The young and talented Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto may also be a revelation.

  

 Back to Article