South Africa Mexico Uruguay France
* = Seeded Team
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
South Africa performed well on home soil in the Confederations Cup in 2009 but there have been mixed results in recent friendlies and the Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.
Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is back, replacing countryman Joel Santana. South Africa have now gone through a dozen coaches in 17 years, including such names as Carlos Queiroz, Philippe Troussier and Stuart Baxter.
South Africa's one international success was achieved under a home-grown coach, Clive Barker, who lead the team to victory at the 1996 African Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Parreira's brand of defensive football may not go down well with fans and may not be enough for the team to escape the group phase, something they also failed to do in 1998 and 2002.
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South Africa |
South Africa |
South Africa v Mexico 11 June; Johannesburg
South Africa v Uruguay 16 June; Pretoria
South Africa v France 22 June; Bloemfontein
Carlos Alberto Parreira
1998, 2002 group stage
Steven Pienaar, Bernard Parker
Could make it out of the group on the back of home support but
it's going to be tough.
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South Africa qualified automatically as hosts.
Carlos Alberto Parreira has won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994.
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Things improved for Mexico in qualifying after they parted company with Sven Goran Eriksson and appointed local coach Javier Aguirre in his place.
Veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco is back in a team including Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Andres Guardado - all players with pace and guile.
But the Tricolor rarely travel well and though they should have no problems with the altitude, getting past France, Uruguay and the hosts may be beyond them.
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Mexico |
Mexico |
Mexico v South Africa 11 June; Johannesburg
Mexico v France 17 June; Polokwane
Mexico v Uruguay 22 June; Rustenburg
Javier Aguirre
1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1978 First Round; 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 Second Round; 1970, 1986 Quarter Finals. 14th trip to the World Cup.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Rafael Marquez
The game with Uruguay may be key to their hopes of progressing.
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Second to the USA in the CONCACAF zone.
Mexico lost in the round of 16 to Argentina in 2006, 2-1 in Leipzig.
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Uruguay had to come through a tough play off with Costa Rica to qualify and when they had qualification in their grasp, at home to arch-rivals Argentina, they blew it.
With dangerous players up front in the shape of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, La Celeste look nice going forward but can struggle at the back with Paolo Montero much missed.
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Uruguay |
Uruguay |
Uruguay v France 11 June; Cape Town
Uruguay v South Africa 16 June; Pretoria
Uruguay v Mexico 22 June; Rustenburg
Oscar Tabarez
1962, 1974, 2002 First Round; 1986, 1990 Second Round; 1966 Quarter Finals; 1954, 1970 Fourth place; 1930, 1950 Champions
Diego Forlan, Diego Lugano
We think they'll struggle to get out of the group.
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Play off after finishing fifth in the South American qualifying group.
Drew 0-0 with France at the 2002 World Cup in Korea.
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Since losing to Italy so narrowly in 2006 France have gone downhill. Euro 2008 was a massive disappointment and included a 4-1 hammering by The Netherlands. Qualification for South Africa was a struggle and needed a Thierry Henry handball to secure progress against Ireland in Paris. Domenech has kept his job but fails to impress his many critics in the French press, but with a strong squad on paper, surely France will improve come June.
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France | France |
France v Uruguay 9 June; Cape Town
France v Mexico 17 June; Polokwane
France v South Africa 22 June; Bloemfontein
Raymond Domenech
1930, 1934, 1954, 1966, 2002 First Round; 1938 Quarter Finals; 1982 Fourth place; 1958 & 1986 Third place, 2006 Runners-up, 1998 Champions
Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery
Should escape the group.
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Second in European qualifying group 7 behind Serbia, then won a play off 2-1 against the Republic of Ireland.
Coach Domenech was a hit in the song Je Kiffe Raymond (I Fancy
Raymond) by Catherine Ringer, a former porn star.
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