JAPAN

Seeded

Fixtures

Japan v Belgium June 4 Saitama 6pm
Japan v Russia June 9 Yokohama 8.30pm
Japan v Tunisia June 14 Osaka 3.30pm

Coach: Philippe Troussier

Record: 1998 First round

FIFA Ranking: 32

French coach Troussier's hard-nosed, no hand-bags approach has created a team in his own image that can now stand up to the big boys, as a place in the 2001 Confederations Cup final with France and a 1-1 draw in a friendly with Italy aptly demonstrated.
Even people who know something about football are now talking up Japan's chances of reaching the Round of Sixteen and beyond; and this despite a woeful display against Norway. The grounds for optimism are that "Belgium aren't that good" and it's taken as a given that Japan will defeat Tunisia in Osaka. No doubt that Hidetoshi Nakata is a bigger name than any squad member of Japan's opponents in Group H, but can the 3-5-2 system keep out opposing forwards? We don't think so.
They can compete but can they prevail? Only Shinji Ono and Hidetoshi Nakata of Japan's exports have experienced success playing abroad this season and this pair's form and fitness will be crucial if Japan are to progress from Group H and not disappoint an expectant nation.

Men to watch: Shinji Ono has avoided the media glare at unfashionable Feyernoord and reached a European final and that man Nakata's quite useful.

Prediction: Home advantage may prove to be a double-edged sword with the sports press already talking up Japan's prospects. Have a chance to make the second round and for the success of the tournament let's hope they do. There are problems at the back but Morioka's return from injury is a boost.

Prediction: Out first round.

On the sidelines

Despite the fact that Japan supposedly sold out all its tickets and there were 73 applications for each ticket look out for the empty seats not taken up by the sponsors. A disgrace.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth) Age 26, 53 caps
12 Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight) Age 26, 18 caps
23 Hitoshi Sogahata (Kashima Antlers) Age 22, 2 caps
Defenders
2 Yutaka Akita (Kashima Antlers) Age 31, 38 caps
3 Naoki Matsuda (Yokohama F Marinos) Age 25, 29 caps
4 Ryuzo Morioka (Shimizu S-Pulse) Age 26, 32 caps
6 Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata) Age 28, 37 caps
16 Koji Nakata (Kashima Antlers) Age 22, 26 caps
17 Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka) Age 25, 11 caps
Midfielders
5 Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal) Age 22, 29 caps
7 Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma) Age 25, 42 caps
8 Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka) Age 30, 61 caps
14 Alessandro Santos (Shimizu S-Pulse) Age 24, 5 caps
15 Takashi Fukunishi (Jubilo Iwata) Age 25, 11 caps
18 Shinji Ono (Feyenoord) Age 22, 26 caps
19 Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers) Age 23, 4 caps
20 Tomokazu Myojin (Kashiwa Reysol) Age 24, 22 caps
21 Kazuyuki Toda (Shimizu S-Pulse) Age 24, 15 caps
22 Daisuke Ichikawa (Shimizu S-Pulse) Age 22, 6 caps
Forwards
9 Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo Osaka) Age 25, 28 caps
10 Masashi Nakayama (Jubilo Iwata) Age 34, 48 caps
11 Takayuki Suzuki (Kashima Antlers) Age 25, 16 caps
13 Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima Antlers) Age 25, 26 caps

BELGIUM

Fixtures

Belgium v Japan v June 4 Saitama 6pm
Belgium v Tunisia v June 9 Oita 6pm
Belgium v Russia June 14 Shizuoka 3.30pm

Coach: Robert Waseige

Record: 1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1998 First Round; 1982, 1990, 1994 Second Round; 1986 fourth place.

FIFA Ranking: 23

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Geert de Vlieger (Willem II) Age 30, 23 caps
13 Francky Vandendriessche (Excelsior Mouscron) Age 31, 0 caps
23 Frederic Herpoel (Ghent) Age 27, 3 caps
Defenders
2 Eric Deflandre (Lyon) Age 28, 39 caps
3 Glen de Boeck (Anderlecht) Age 30, 31 caps
4 Eric van Meir (Standard Liege) Age 34, 31 caps
5 Nico van Kerckhoven (Schalke 04) Age 31, 38 caps
12 Peter van der Heyden (Bruges) Age 25, 3 caps
15 Jacky Peeters (Ghent) Age 32, 11 caps
16 Daniel van Buyten (Marseille) Age 24, 5 caps
Midfielders
6 Timmy Simons (Bruges) Age 25, 10 caps
14 Sven Vermant (Schalke 04) Age 29, 11 caps
8 Bart Goor (Hertha Berlin) Age 29, 36 caps
10 Johan Walem (Standard Liege) Age 30, 31 caps
11 Gert Verheyen (Bruges) Age 31, 44 caps
17 Gaetan Englebert (Bruges) Age 25, 2 caps
18 Yves Vanderhaeghe (Anderlecht) Age 32, 28 caps
19 Bernd Thijs (Genk) Age 23, 0 caps
21 Danny Boffin (St Truidense) Age 36, 51 caps
Forwards
7 Marc Wilmots (Schalke 04) Age 33, 67 caps
22 Mbo Mpenza (Excelsior Mouscron) Age 25, 27 caps
20 Branko Strupar (Derby County) Age 32, 15 caps
9 Wesley Sonck (Racing Genk) Age 23, 12 caps

RUSSIA

Fixtures

Russia v Tunisia June 5 Kobe 3.30pm
Russia v Japan June 9 Yokohama 8.30pm
Russia v Belgium June 14 Shizuoka 3.30pm

Coach: Oleg Romantsev

Record: 1970, 1994 First round; 1982, 1986 Second Round; 1958, 1970 Quarter Finals; 1966 fourth place

FIFA Ranking: 27

Being beaten by Estonia in a friendly just before the World Cup doesn't get the media on your side, but forcing a draw with Champions France meant the Russians were suddenly in the headlines. Will Russia be always painted with the brush that declares 'always good, never brilliant'? Vladimir Beschastnykh is the star of the show, with a mean defence behind him. Also look out for Marat Izmailov, 19, dubbed the 'the Russian Michael Owen' for his speed, dribbling skills and powerful shot.

Prediction: Last eight.

On the sidelines

Like millions of Russians, Coach Oleg Romantsev combines his day job of manager of Spartak Moscow by moonlighting with the national team.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Ruslan Nigmatullin (Verona) Age 27, 20 caps
12 Stanislav Cherchesov (Tirol) Age 38, 49 caps
23 Alexander Filimonov (Elista) Age 28, 16 caps
Defenders
2 Yury Kovtun (Spartak Moscow) Age 32, 44 caps
3 Yury Nikiforov (PSV Eindhoven) Age 31, 56 caps
5 Andrei Solomatin (CSKA Moscow) Age 26, 5 caps
7 Viktor Onopko (Oviedo) Age 32, 97 caps
13 Vyacheslav Dayev (CSKA Moscow) Age 29, 7 caps
14 Igor Chugainov (Elista) Age 32, 30 caps
18 Dmitry Sennikov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Age 25, 4 caps
Midfielders
4 Alexei Smertin (Bordeaux) Age 27, 25 caps
6 Igor Semshov (Torpedo Moscow) Age 24, 2 caps
8 Valery Karpin (Celta Vigo) Age 33, 69 caps
9 Igor Titov (Spartak Moscow) Age 25, 30 caps
10 Alexander Mostovoi (Celta Vigo) Age 33, 59 caps
15 Dmitry Alenichev (FC Porto) Age 29, 43 caps
17 Sergei Semak (CSKA Moscow) Age 26, 31 caps
20 Marat Izmailov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Age 19, 8 caps
21 Dmitry Khohlov (Real Sociedad, Spain) Age 26, 39 caps
Forwards
11 Vladimir Beschastnykh (Spartak Moscow) Age 28, 64 caps
16 Alexander Kerzhakov (Saint Petersburg) Age 19, 3 caps
19 Ruslan Pimenov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Age 20, 1 cap
22 Dmitry Sychov (Spartak Moscow) Age 18, 4 caps

TUNISIA

Fixtures

Tunisia v Russia June 5 Kobe 3.30pm
Tunisia v Belgium June 10 Oita 6pm
Tunisia v Japan June 14 Osaka 3.30pm

Coach: Ammar Souayah & Khemaies Laabidi

Record: 1978, 1998 First Round

FIFA Ranking: 30

Though team coach Ammar Souayah feels Tunisia are lucky to have been drawn in Group H with Japan, Russia and Belgium they are hot favourites to fall at the first hurdle yet again. Tunisia's preparations have been thrown into disarray by the resignation of French coach, Henri Michel and the retirement of eccentric keeper El Ouaer. Strong in defence but lacking fire-power up front.

Men to watch: Look out for key midfielder Zoubeir Baya who plays with Besiktas in Turkey and Bessam Daassi, the leading scorer in the Tunisian league.

Prediction: An early exit once again.

On the sidelines

'They are on the whole a very boring team.' James Gordon, African freelance reporter. (442)

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Ali Boumnijel (Bastia, France) Age 36, 16 caps
16 Hassen Bejaoui (CA Bizerte) Age 27, 2 caps
22 Ahmed Jaouachi (US Monastir) Age 26, 0 caps
Defenders
2 Khaled Badra (ES Tunis) Age 37, 74 caps
15 Radhi Jaidi (ES Tunis) Age 26, 46 caps
17 Tarek Thabet (ES Tunis) Age 30, 69 caps
23 Clayton (ES Tunis) Age 28, 12 caps
4 Mohamed Mkacher (ES Sahel) Age 27, 20 caps
19 Emir Mkademi (ES Sahel) Age 23, 10 caps
14 Hamdi Marzouki (Club Africain) Age 25, 20 caps
6 Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax) Age 25, 27 caps
12 Raouf Bouzayane (Genoa) Age 31, 39 caps
Midfielders
10 Kais Ghodhbane (ES Sahel) Age 26, 62 caps
13 Riadh Bouazizi (Borsa, Turkey) Age 29, 52 caps
21 Mourad Melki (ES Tunis) Age 27, 10 caps
8 Hassene Gabsi (Genoa) Age 28, 48 caps
3 Zoubeir Baya (Beziktas) Age 31, 79 caps
18 Selim Benachour (Martigues, Fr) Age 20, 3 caps
7 Imed Mhedhebi (Genoa) Age 26, 31 caps
Forwards
9 Riadh Jelassi (Club Africain) Age 30, 24 caps
5 Zied Jaziri (ES Sahel) Age 23, 26 caps
20 Ali Zitouni (ES Tunis) Age 21, 23 caps
11 Adel Sellimi (Freiburg) Age 29, 75 caps