England hope to avoid US repeat

Group C

ENG

USA

ALG

SVN

England go into their 13th FIFA World Cup™ as not just Group C's main attraction but as overwhelming favourites to finish top. Yet they may not have things their own way. The USA have upset England before and they will be hopeful of making progress – the Americans have a depth of quality and experience that puts them in a different league from the college kids who travelled to Italia 90 with the Stars 'n' Stripes two decades ago. Slovenia, making their second FIFA World Cup appearance, and Algeria, their third, complete the section – but will be determined to do much more than make up the numbers.

The favourites
England: The Three Lions have never won the FIFA World Cup on foreign soil but travel to South Africa believing the adventure will go beyond the quarter-finals this time. Confidence is high after an impressive qualifying campaign from Fabio Capello's side who finished as 34-goal top scorers in the European Zone, winning nine of ten matches. Wayne Rooney hit nine goals and can have a galvanising effect – indeed, while his World Cup bow four years ago ended with a red card against Portugal the same thing happened to Diego Maradona and look how he responded. Add the Capello factor – the Italian has brought discipline and focus – and England will expect to win this group and prosper.

USA: The United States contest their sixth successive finals and will fancy their chances of advancing from the group stage for the first time since their quarter-final run in 2002. Bob Bradley's team can also take heart from their efforts at the FIFA Confederations Cup on South African soil in 2009 – they stunned Spain in the semi-finals and led Brazil 2-0 in the final before succumbing 3-2. They will hope centre-back Oguchi Onyewu will have recovered from his knee injury in time to join a squad that will again look to Landon Donovan for attacking inspiration in his third FIFA World Cup.

The outsiders
Algeria: The North Africans are back on the world stage after a 24-year absence following their play-off victory over Egypt. Rabah Saadane's side – who had eliminated Senegal in the second African qualifying round – boast top-level European experience in their ranks, including midfielder Karim Ziani at German champions Wolfsburg and pacy left-back Nadir Belhadj at English club Portsmouth. Antar Yahia, the match-winner against Egypt, will face Bochum colleague Zlatko Dedic in an opening match against Slovenia in Polokwane that both countries will consider their best chance of three points.

Slovenia: Matjaz Kek's team were surprise play-off winners over Russia, Dedic's second-leg strike earning them victory on away goals after a 2-1 reverse in Moscow. Their first major tournaments as an independent nation came at UEFA EURO 2000 and Korea/Japan 2002 but their current squad lacks that know-how, though captain Robert Koren needs no introduction to England as he plays his football at West Bromwich Albion. Their main attacking threat is Milivoje Novakovic, based in Germany with FC Cologne, who hit five goals as they finished second behind Slovakia in their qualifying group.

The players to watch
Wayne Rooney (ENG), Frank Lampard (ENG), Landon Donovan (USA), Tim Howard (USA), Karim Ziani (ALG), Robert Koren (SVN).

The crunch match
England-USA: England will aim to stamp their authority on the group in what, on paper, looks their trickiest test in the pool opener in Rustenburg on 12 June. The countries' historical and cultural ties will make it eagerly anticipated on both sides of the Atlantic.

A look back
England-USA, 29 June 1950: In their first tournament England suffered their biggest upset on the world stage when Joe Gaetjens' first-half goal earned a ragtag American team a 1-0 victory in Belo Horizonte. One newspaper in Britain assumed the 0-1 score had to be wrong and printed that England had won 10-1.

Did you know?
Algeria have never met England but held Northern Ireland 1-1 when facing another British team at Mexico 1986.

The stat
10 – England have negotiated the group stage successfully on their last ten FIFA World Cup appearances.

The question
At first glance, England and USA look strong favourites to advance but could Algeria or Slovenia spring a surprise? Both did so in their qualifying play-offs but repeating it in South Africa may prove difficult. Click 'Add your comment' to make your opinion known.

Group B stirs ghosts of '94

Group B

ARG

NGA

KOR

GRE

The Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ has pitted two-time winners Argentina against Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece in Group B. It is a section that stirs memories of the 1994 finals in the United States – and one that appears, on paper at least, to be difficult to predict.

The favourites
Argentina: Despite their inconsistent showing in South American qualifying, the potential of Diego Maradona's squad remains vast given the plethora of world-class talents at his disposal. The greatest challenge for this relatively inexperienced coach will be knitting these proven individuals into a cohesive and reliable unit, something he has been unable to do thus far. That said, La Albiceleste's big names and status as former winners make them favourites to top the section.

Nigeria: Though lacking as many household names as in previous FIFA World Cup outings, coach Shaibu Amodu can call on a balanced squad made up of experienced performers and up-and-coming starlets. Having shown they were made of stern stuff in African Zone qualifying, when snatching a berth from Tunisia's hands in the final round of matches, the Super Eagles will feel confident of competing for a last-16 berth, the furthest they have gone at a finals to date.

The outsiders
Korea Republic: Under the steady guidance of coach Huh Jung-Moo, the South Koreans were less than imperious during the qualifying phase, though they did end up topping their group in the final round. Clinching a ticket to South Africa means they will become the Asian team with most appearances at the global showpiece, though doubts remain over their ability to transfer their regional dominance on to the biggest stage of all. With their experience and all-action style they could make a serious challenge for a top-two place, though a repeat of their run to the 2002 semi-finals would appear beyond them.

Greece: The archetypal 'hard nut to crack' under Otto Rehhagel, the 2004 European champions return to world football’s top table for the first time since their debut in 1994. Solid at the back and clinical up front, King Otto's well-drilled charges will be determined to avoid a repeat of that American adventure, which brought three straight defeats. What is more, confidence should be high in the Greek camp after they edged out 2006 quarter-finalists Ukraine in the European Zone play-offs.

The players to watch
Lionel Messi (ARG), Javier Mascherano (ARG), Carlos Tevez (ARG), Juan Veron (ARG), Park Ji-Sung (KOR), Park Chu-Young (KOR), Obafemi Martins (NIG), Aiyegbeni Yakubu (NIG), Georgios Karagounis (GRE) and Theofanis Gekas (GRE).

The crunch match
Argentina-Nigeria: Both these big-name sides only clinched their tickets to South Africa with wins in their final qualifiers and their meeting in Group B's opening encounter could well shape their respective fates. History is currently on the side of the Argentinians, who won both previous group meetings between the two nations at FIFA World Cup finals: 2-1 at USA 1994 and 1-0 at Korea/Japan 2002.

A look back
Greece-Nigeria, 30 June 1994
In the countries' final Group D match at USA '94, goals from Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi earned Nigeria a 2-0 win over Greece, sealing top spot in the section ahead of Bulgaria and Argentina. The Super Eagles went on to push eventual finalists Italy all the way in the Round of 16, going down to a 2-1 defeat after extra time. Greece, for their part, headed for home after failing to score a single goal in their three games.

Did you know?
Maradona will make his FIFA World Cup coaching bow against Nigeria, the same team he faced in his last finals appearance as a player at USA '94. It that same campaign on American soil he registered his eighth and final FIFA World Cup goal and his last in an Albiceleste shirt, in the 4-0 win over Greece. He was subsequently sent home from the tournament after failing a drugs test. El Diez will also have fond memories of playing against Korea Republic, who were beaten 3-1 in Argentina’s opening match of their triumphant 1986 campaign.

The stat
25 - The combined number of FIFA World Cups that the four teams drawn in Group B have taken part in. Argentina lead the way with 14, followed by Korea Republic with seven, Nigeria with three and Greece with one.

The question
He was a FIFA World Cup hero for Argentina as a player but how will Maradona fare as a coach on football's greatest stage?

Three contenders, two tickets

Group G

BRA

PRK

CIV

POR

Group G appears the toughest section. Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire and Portugal have all stated their aim is to win the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup™. One of them – or two, if Korea DPR can evoke a colossal shock – will miss out on a place in the Round of 16. Enhancing the section's appeal is the three heavyweights' penchant for flair, which can be taken for granted given that Kaka, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, will be parading their genius. We can look forward to 540 minutes of engrossing football.

The favourites
Brazil: The record five-time world champions have regained their unique, irresistible groove under Dunga's tutelage. They will head to South Africa as the Copa America and FIFA Confederations Cup holders as well as the top-ranked in South American qualifying. In Julio Cesar, Brazil have one of the game's best goalkeepers; in Kaka, they have one of its best players. With the likes of Maicon, Robinho and Luis Fabiano complementing them, A Seleção will kick off this examining section as the team to beat.

Portugal: Carlos Queiroz's side may have only scraped through to the finals via a play-off victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the Africa-born coach has copious talent at his disposal. Much of it will come from Cristiano Ronaldo, a player capable of swinging any match. The likely presence in the Portugal squad of Brazil-born players Pepe, Deco and Liedson will be an intriguing subplot to the meeting between A Selecção das Quinas and A Seleção.

The outsiders
Côte d'Ivoire: The Ivorians proved themselves a force to be reckoned with at Germany 2006, when they gave Argentina and the Netherlands serious cause for concern in narrow defeats, before returning home on a high following a defeat of Serbia and Montenegro. The Elephants have, indubitably, come on leaps and bounds since. With the likes of Kolo Toure, his brother Yaya, Solomon Kalou and hulking forward Drogba they coasted through to South Africa 2010 without a single defeat and will look to cement their reputation as a formidable side by reaching the knockout phase.

Korea DPR: The Chollima caused a major shock simply by qualifying for South Africa. They will need a significantly bigger one to reach the Round of 16. Belying the odds is not, however, alien to the North Koreans, who pulled off one of the most colossal upsets in FIFA World Cup history by beating Italy 1-0 en route to the quarter-finals in 1966, where they lost 5-3 to Portugal in a thrilling game. Prolific forward Jong Tae-Se appears to be Korea DPR's best hope of stunning the football world once again.

The players to watch
Kaka (BRA), Luis Fabiano (BRA), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR), Liedson (POR), Didier Drogba (CIV), Jong Tae-Se (PRK)

The crunch match
Côte d'Ivoire-Portugal: Brazil will be expected to win Group G. Korea DPR will be the overwhelming favourites to finish bottom. Therefore, the section's opening game, between the Ivorians and the Portuguese at Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, could well determine which of this pair advances and which suffers first-round elimination.

A look back
Brazil and Portugal have won one game apiece in their previous two meetings. The Europeans inflicted a first defeat upon Dunga as Seleção coach, winning 2-0 in London in February 2007, before Brazil beat their rivals 6-2 in a November 2008 thriller.

The stat
44 – The number of years that will have passed, by the time South Africa 2010 kicks off, since Brazil last failed to progress beyond the first phase. A 3-1 defeat by Portugal in their final group game at England 1966 condemned A Seleção to an early exit.

The questions
Do you consider Group G to be the toughest pool? Which two teams will progress from it? Which players will illuminate it?