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2010 World Cup draw

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia

Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark

Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Cost, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland

Guide to the teams at South Africa 2010

GROUP A: SOUTH AFRICA



Manager: Carlos Alberto Parreira

Key player: Kagisho Dikgacoi

Best: Round one (1998, 2002)

World ranking: 86

Qualifying as hosts has its obvious advantages - giving straight passage without having to kick a ball in anger. However, the lack of a competitive edge is the drawback and South Africa will need to compensate for this by preparing thoroughly for the tournament on home soil. As with previous sporting events in the country, they are sure to have a passionate support backing them.

The side failed to score a single goal in the 2006 African Cup of Nations and immediately afterwards set about finding a new manager who could lead them during the 2010 World Cup. Parreira was their choice but it has not been plain sailing. The Brazilian briefly left for family reasons, after which he coached Fluminese in his homeland, before returning in October of this year. They showed how far they have come with a good showing at this year's Confederations Cup, where they finished fourth out of eight teams. However, the team remains disjointed and there are fears that they could be embarrassed.

MEXICO


Manager: Javier Aguirre

Key player: Rafael Marquez

Best: Quarter-final (1970, 1986)

World ranking: 15

Mexico made sure of their 14th appearance at the finals with a game to spare after a comprehensive 4-1 victory over El Salvador - despite a swarm of bees in the goalmouth halting play for 10 minutes. Javier Aguirre's side won six of their nine games to seize the initiative in the group after a stuttering under previous coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Team captain Rafael Marquez has praised coach Aguirre for bringing back the team's belief following Eriksson's disappointing reign. The no-nonsense Aguirre has certainly improved the side and they are likely to prove tricky opponents in South Africa, especially in matches at altitude. Barcelona defender Marquez is their star man, but Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Andrés Guardado and Arsenal striker Carlos Vela are both talented performers, while West Ham striker Guillermo Franco is becoming something of a cult hero at Upton Park.

URUGUAY


Manager: Oscar Tabarez

Key player: Diego Forlan

Best: Winners (1930, 1950)

World ranking: 19

Two-time world champions Uruguay clinched the 32nd and final place in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Costa Rica via the play-offs. Oscar Tabarez's men will reflect on their priceless 1-0 victory in San Jose in the first leg, which meant all they needed was to avoid defeat in Montevideo in the second leg. They took the lead through Sebastian Abreu and although Walter Centeno equalised for Costa Rica, the visitors failed to level the tie. In the South American qualifying group, Uruguay were the epitome of inconsistency - winning six, drawing six and losing six. Of all the teams who qualified from the group, Uruguay beat only Paraguay.

Uruguay possess some talented players who regularly do the business for their club sides but have rarely produced on the international stage. Case in point is Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan whose goalscoring record is hugely impressive in La Liga but his international form less so. However, if their big guns can fire they may well overcome what has become a crippling inability to perform on the biggest stage.

FRANCE


Manager: Raymond Domenech

Key player: Franck Ribery

Best: Winners (1998)

World ranking: 7

Having finished a point behind Serbia in Group Seven the French, led by Raymond Domenech, were paired with Republic of Ireland in the play-offs. A 1-0 win in Ireland was followed by a game of huge talking points in France, with the Irish going in front through Robbie Keane and taking the tie to extra-time. France won it, but with a goal from William Gallas that came from a blatant handball from Thierry Henry.

Controversial it may be but France will be in South Africa this summer and it would be naive to assume they are not capable of going far because of the circumstances surrounding their qualification. The side is packed with talent, including Manchester United's Patrice Evra and Gallas of Arsenal in defence, Real Madrid "water-carrier" Lassana Diarra and Bayern Munich's mercurial Franck Ribery in midfield and Nicolas Anelka of Chelsea and Barcelona's Henry up front. However, the jury remains out on coach Domenech, who is widely seen as the reason such an able group of players continue to under-achieve, and for the first time in many years the French are not viewed as certainties for the latter stages.

GROUP B: ARGENTINA



Manager: Diego Maradona

Key player: Lionel Messi

Best: Winners (1978, 1986)

World ranking: 8

Argentina endured a torrid qualifying campaign under manager Diego Maradona, who seemed to grow increasingly eccentric as the pressure on him grew. However the side came good in their crunch match in Uruguay, with Mario Bolatti's late goal securing the 1-0 win which secured their place in South Africa. Argentina had only failed to qualify for a World Cup once in their history - in 1970 - but their victory secured the fourth and final qualifying spot in the South America group.

Whilst they may appear to be as weak as at any time in living memory, you can never truly write off a side that boasts attacking talent such as Barcelona's 2009 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria of Benfica. The manager's selection policy is a concern though and they are vulnerable in defence. Whilst they undoubtedly possess the resources to be competitive, it is difficult to predict how they will get on in South Africa (although the number of detractors continues to grow) but whatever happens, with Maradona in the dugout it will be an interesting ride.

NIGERIA


Manager: Shaibu Amodu

Key player: Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Best: Round two (1994, 1998)

World ranking: 22

Nigeria qualified in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win against Kenya in Nairobi. The Super Eagles had to win to have any chance of denying Tunisia. They fought back from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but conceded a 79th-minute equaliser, only for Obafemi Martins to seal an emotional win.

The Super Eagles were overwhelming favourites to win their qualifying group and in drawing three of their matches, including both against Tunisia, they showed enough fallibility to concern their passionate following. However, their quality ultimately shone through. Any side that boasts the likes of Everton defender Joseph Yobo, Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel and strike duo Martins and Yakubu in their ranks will be a threat to most teams but they will all have to fire if they are to repeat the success of past sides.

SOUTH KOREA


Manager: Huh Jung-Moo

Key player: Park Ji-Sung

Best: Fourth (2002)

World ranking: 52

The South Koreans secured a seventh successive World Cup finals place thanks to a 2-0 victory over United Arab Emirates in Dubai. Park Chu-young and Ki Sung-yueng grabbed the goals as Huh Jung-Moo's outfit strolled to a place in Africa's first World Cup. Four wins and four draws, with just four goals conceded in qualifying are a testimony to a well-drilled unit with the determination and ability to get the job done.

Under the leadership of Guus Hiddink, South Korea famously made it to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup on home soil, beating Portugal, Italy and Spain on the way. They are unlikely to repeat such a feat in South Africa and will do well to make it beyond the group stages. Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung is their captain and star performer but even his impressive work-rate cannot cover for deficiencies elsewhere in the side.

GREECE


Manager: Otto Rehhagel

Key player: Giorgos Karagounis

Best: Round one (1994)

World ranking: 12

Euro 2004 champions Greece qualified for their first World Cup since 1994 thanks to veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel, who masterminded their success in Portugal. Having finished second in Group Two behind Switzerland, who twice beat them, they met Ukraine in a two-legged play-off and won 1-0 in Donetsk after a 0-0 draw in Athens, with Dimitrios Salpigidis getting the winner.

Rehhagel is a master of maximising the talent he has at his disposal. He added further to his hero status in Greece by guiding the side to only their second ever World Cup finals appearance, and they will be hoping to at least improve on the zero points haul of 1994. Captain and midfielder Giorgos Karagounis will be key to the side in South Africa, as will Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos in a side that relies on solidity over flair. It is not beyond them to shock the established order again but it is unlikely and the first round may once again be the limit of their involvement.

GROUP C: ENGLAND



Manager: Fabio Capello

Key player: Wayne Rooney

Best: Winners (1966)

World ranking: 9

Rarely has a qualifying campaign gone so smoothly for England, who have found a new lease of life under the authoritative leadership of Italian coach Fabio Capello. They swept into the finals with a 5-1 rout of Croatia, their eighth victory in eight Group Six matches, ensuring their progress to the finals with two matches to spare and providing a fitting revenge for the 3-2 defeat to the same side that denied them participation at Euro 2008.

Disappointing quarter-final eliminations at both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup and the failure to reach Euro 2008 were huge under-achievements for a group of players widely considered something of an English "golden generation". However, many of them, including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and captain John Terry remain and appear to have found a coach capable of successfully utilising their combined talents. They lack proven quality beyond the first choice side and there are concerns in goal but if they play to potential and Wayne Rooney shines the inevitable hype may finally be justified.

UNITED STATES


Manager: Bob Bradley

Key player: Landon Donovan

Best: Third (1930)

World ranking: 14

The United States had to work hard to seal qualification with a 3-2 win over Honduras, but Bob Bradley's side did enjoy the luxury of having a game to spare. The Americans gave a strong showing throughout qualifying, securing good wins over their principle rivals Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica to take top spot in the group.

The US have featured in each of the previous five World Cups and are now expected to make the knockout rounds. In making the Confederations Cup final, beating Euro 2008 winners Spain along the way and pushing eventual winners Brazil in the final, the Americans demonstrated enough to suggest a latter-stages push is within their reach in South Africa. Bradley's team is well-organised with a good keeper in Everton's Tim Howard, and goalscoring threats in the shape of Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey and Los Angeles Galaxy striker Landon Donovan. However, the coach used 43 players in qualification, suggesting consistency may be alluding them at present.

ALGERIA


Manager: Rabah Saadane

Key player: Karim Ziani

Best: Round one (1986, 1982)

World ranking: 28

Algeria, the Desert Foxes, are appearing at their first World Cup for 24 years since exiting in the first round of Mexico 86. They made it to South Africa the hard way, forced to go to a one-match play-off against Egypt when they lost 2-0 in Cairo in the final group game as the two sides finished neck-and-neck at the top of Group C. They came through the contest at a neutral venue in the Sudanese capital Khartoum thanks to defender Antar Yahia's magnificent first-half volley that crashed in off the crossbar.

The Fennecs could well be one to avoid in the group stages, having shown enough technical ability and passion in qualifying to suggest the current highest Fifa ranking of 28 is justified. Stylistically they have been likened to a European side and possess a large number of players who ply their trade within the continent, including Portsmouth's Nadir Belhadj and Lazio midfielder Mourad Meghni. In what is often a rarity for an African side they are blessed with a highly talented goalkeeper in the shape of Faouzi Chaouchi.

SLOVENIA


Manager: Matjaz Kek

Key player: Milivoje Novakovic

Best: Round one (2002)

World ranking: 33

Matjaz Kek's side reached their second World Cup finals thanks to a surprise play-off win over much-fancied Russia, having finished second in Group Three behind Slovakia. A late reply left them trailing 2-1 after the first leg in Moscow but Zlatko Dedic's goal in Maribor proved enough to earn them victory on the away goals rule. It would be easy to dismiss the threat of Slovenia but any side that denies Guus Hiddink's Russia a World Cup spot deserve to be taken seriously.

Slovenia have made something of a habit of upsetting the odds, beating Ukraine to surprisingly qualify for Euro 2000 before drawing with both Yugoslavia and Norway in the tournament finals. They also beat Romania in a play-off to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. They are well-organised and tough to break down but lack the class to truly hurt sides.

GROUP D: GERMANY



Manager: Joachim Loew

Key player: Michael Ballack

Best: Winners (1954, 1974, 1990)

World ranking: 6

Only Brazil and Italy have won the World Cup on more occasions than three-time champions Germany. They have also been runners-up on four occasions and have more semi-final appearances than any other side with 11. They have not missed a World Cup finals since 1950 and that record was extended as they booked their place with a 1-0 victory away to their group rivals Russia. Miroslav Klose's 35th-minute strike clinched the win and saw Germany win the group with one round of matches remaining.

A strong qualifying campaign suggests they will once again be a force in South Africa, albeit not as powerful as they once were. Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack and Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose remain world-class talents whilst young Werder Bremen winger Mesut Ozil is one to watch. They were comfortably beaten 2-1 by England in a friendly in Berlin late last year, but with their game faces on they will be a different proposition and should figure at the business end of proceedings.

AUSTRALIA


Manager: Pim Verbeek

Key player: Tim Cahill

Best: Round two (2006)

World ranking: 21

Guus Hiddink may have gone but his influence remains. The Socceroos showed the same level of skill and passion that saw them only narrowly beaten by eventual winners Italy in the second round in 2006 by easing into the 2010 World Cup without conceding a goal in the six matches it took them to qualify. A 0-0 draw against Qatar in Doha wrapped things up for Pim Verbeek's team after they picked up 14 points in Group A of the final Asian qualifying phase.

There are plenty of faces familiar to fans of the Premier League in the Australia squad. Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer, Everton defender Lucas Neill, and midfield duo Brett Emerton of Blackburn and Everton's Tim Cahill all feature regularly for their respective sides. Former Leeds and Liverpool winger Harry Kewell, now with Galatasaray is another skilled, if inconsistent performer. The highest seeded sides will not relish a group encounter with them and they may well make another foray into the knockout stages.