It's been noted by many people that only seven countries have ever won the World Cup in its 80-year
history. Those same people have also suggested the time is now right for a new name to be added to
the roll of honour, and most of those have put forward Spain as the country most likely to become
the eighth.
For a country so obsessed with football and having played it so long, it's a mystery that Mexico is
yet to make a bigger impact on the World Cup. The current team boast many a technically gifted
player and are led by a much respected coach, but expectations thus far have been no higher than
for previous campaigns.
You can't keep a good footballing nation down and while the state of
Yugoslavia has been
consigned to the world of dusty old Len Deighton novels, the nations that formed that Eastern Bloc
political contrivance continue to produce good (if not great) footballing teams.
In the years that followed the brutal war in the Balkans which resulted in the break up of
Yugoslavia, it was
Croatia who kept the footballing flame alive internationally.
Wigan fans will know well the talents of the players of this small Central American nation - with
first team regulars Maynor Figueroa and Hendry Thomas and former player Wilson Palacios all coming
from there.
This is Honduras' second World Cup Finals, having qualified for the 1982 finals.
Participants in the first tournament they may be but up until recent years,
Paraguay's
contribution to
World Cup history has been fairly inauspicious. Between 1930 and 1998, the
land-locked country located in the shadow of
Argentina and
Brazil as their
neighbours, only qualified for the final stages three times.
The
Socceroos have moved. Not literally of course but on an administrative level.
Previously,
Football Federation Australia were members of the Oceania confederation which
only has half a qualification spot for the World Cup Finals. This manifests itself as a play-off
against a low-ranked team in another confederation (Asia this time, but in the past it has been
South America).
This is the third major international tournament Slovenia have qualified for - each time by manner
of a play-off. They overcame Ukraine to win a place at Euro 2000 and beat Romania to qualify for
the 2002 World Cup.
The key to Slovenia's qualification campaign was their excellent home form (they conceded just one
goal in six games) and an away victory against the eventual group winners Slovakia, denying the
Czech Republic, Poland and Northern Ireland a place in South Africa.
Football just ain't fair sometimes. When you've waited 44 years to qualify for only your second
World Cup like North Korea have, the last thing you'd want is to be drawn in the same group as
Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast.
That, however, is as good a reason why the East Asians are 1,000-1 to win the 2010 World Cup.
Despite a rich history in African football, including a long period of dominance in the Cup of
Nations, this is only Ghana's second World Cup Finals having also qualified for Germany four years
ago.
Ghana's qualification campaign almost foundered at the first hurdle when they scraped through their
first group stage on goal difference.
OK, so a 2-2 draw against North Korea is far from ideal preparation for a World Cup tournament but
then Greece have made a virtue of taking people by surprise. You do, however, suspect that even the
most passionate Greeks will be surprised if the 2004 European champions make it to the second round
of the
World Cup in South Africa.
The Algerian national team are suffering from something of an identity crisis these days. On the
one hand you have the battling, resolute team that overcame bitter rivals Egypt in a fiery play-off
to reach this year's World Cup Finals, and on the other you have the weak, disorientated team that
were thrashed 4-0 by Egypt in the Nations Cup semi finals this year, just days after losing 3-0 to
Malawi in the previous round.
Japan's recent friendly defeat to England in Graz was in many ways symptomatic of their current
standing in world football. They have many good quality players and as a team they can score when
they really want to but defeat can never be completely ruled out. The Japanese football fans know
this and as a result do not expect to have much to cheer about at this summer's World Cup Finals.
Japan's recent friendly defeat to England in Graz was in many ways symptomatic of their current
standing in world football. They have many good quality players and as a team they can score when
they really want to but defeat can never be completely ruled out. The Japanese football fans know
this and as a result do not expect to have much to cheer about at this summer's World Cup Finals.
The Algerian national team are suffering from something of an identity crisis these days. On the
one hand you have the battling, resolute team that overcame bitter rivals Egypt in a fiery play-off
to reach this year's World Cup Finals, and on the other you have the weak, disorientated team that
were thrashed 4-0 by Egypt in the Nations Cup semi finals this year, just days after losing 3-0 to
Malawi in the previous round.
OK, so a 2-2 draw against North Korea is far from ideal preparation for a World Cup tournament but
then Greece have made a virtue of taking people by surprise. You do, however, suspect that even the
most passionate Greeks will be surprised if the 2004 European champions make it to the second round
of the
World Cup in South Africa.
Despite a rich history in African football, including a long period of dominance in the Cup of
Nations, this is only Ghana's second World Cup Finals having also qualified for Germany four years
ago.
Ghana's qualification campaign almost foundered at the first hurdle when they scraped through their
first group stage on goal difference.
Football just ain't fair sometimes. When you've waited 44 years to qualify for only your second
World Cup like North Korea have, the last thing you'd want is to be drawn in the same group as
Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast.
That, however, is as good a reason why the East Asians are 1,000-1 to win the 2010 World Cup.
Arguably the African team with the biggest names (from a British perspective at least) Cote
D'Ivoire enter the World Cup with great expectations on their shoulders. But do they have the squad
to be the first winners of the World Cup to come from the African continent?
If you'd seen them in the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year you'd have to say no.
From a Euro-centric perspective it is easy to ignore the achievements of teams from Asia.
Historically, they were late to embrace the game of football and we are still a very long way from
seeing a team from that vast and diverse continent winning the World Cup.
Yet with South Africa 2010, South Korea will have appeared in no less than eight World Cup finals.
For bloggers of a certain vintage the Super Eagles opened doors to the wonder of the World Cup.
Nigeria's debut in that tournament back in 1994 was a breath of fresh air.
USA 94 was the first tournament that I involved myself in properly that did not feature England. I
was un-poisoned by the concoction of expectation mixed with the inevitability of failure and like
many others, free to pick my own favourites unfettered by misplaced notions of patriotism and
parochialism.
One of the great disappointments of African football is that the South African nation have not been
been able to produce a team to match the enormous passion that its people have for the game.
However, the mere fact that the tournament itself is being held there is a victory for the Rainbow
Nation, the continent of Africa and for football.
When nostaligists think of Cameroon they think of one man,
Roger Milla. One of the few
bright sparks of the Italia 90 tournament (unless you are a German of course) is the flamboyance of
the veteran striker's goal celebration that remain a staple of any highlight reel about Cameroon's
World Cup exploits.
From the outside looking in, France appear to be in an enviable position. So many talented players,
so much potential and yet led by such a volatile coach. One wonders quite what the fates have in
store for France in South Africa this summer.
Like King Canute denying the force of the tide,
Raymond Domenech has resolutely proclaimed
he and his team are just fine, thank you very much, away from the continual barracking they get
from the press and public alike.
