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| Team Profiles |
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Tshwane will be the scene of some high profile, exciting matches. Ten teams will take to the field at Loftus Versfeld Stadium during the first round and the leaders of group F will play the team 2E in a second round match. In addition, six teams have chosen Tshwane as their base camp including soccer giants, Argentina, World Champions, Italy, and Germany the hosts of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
Teams Playing in Tshwane
Algeria Confederation: Africa Coach: Rabah Saadane Star players: Anthar Yahia, Karim Ziani, Nadir Belhadj
Algeria has appeared twice previously in FIFA World Cup finals. In 1982 they made history by defeating West Germany 2-1 and Chile 3-2. Unfortunately this was not enough to take them through to the second stages. In Mexico 1986 they also did not graduate from the group stages and will be coming to South Africa looking to improve on their previous performances.
Cameroon Confederation: Africa Coach: Paul Le Guen Star players: Samuel Eto’o, Alexander Song
Cameroon are arguably Africa’s most successful side having qualified for the FIFA World Cup™ five times - in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 - more than any other African nation. Their 1-0 win over cup holders Argentina to kick off the 1990 FIFA World Cup™ is one of the great upsets in the history of the event. In the same tournament, they were the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup losing to England in extra time.
Chile Confederation: South America Coach: Marcelo Bielsa Star players: Claudio Bravo, Mark González
Chile was one of the nations to be invited to participate in the first ever FIFA world cup™ held in Uruguay 1930. They have appeared in seven World Cup finals previously and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup™ at which they finished in third place.
While many consider them the underdog, Chile has shown that they have the potential to cause an upset in this tournament.
Denmark Confederation: Europe Coach: Morten Olsen
Denmark has appeared in 3 previous FIFA World Cup™ finals. They progressed to the Round of 16 in 1986 and 2002, and the quarter-finals in 1998.
Denmark is a small nation but its passion for football has seen the team become a strong international side. Denmark’s most notably victory was winning the 1992 European Championships (Euro 1992) tournament, beating the then European champions in the semi-final, and the world champions in the final. They also won the Confederations Cup in 1995 defeating Argentina 2–0 in the final match.
Ghana Confederation: Africa Coach: Milovan Rajevac Star players: Michael Essien, Sullay Muntari, Stephen Appia
Ghana was the only African side to progress from the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany™ and was the first to qualify for South Africa 2010. Though this will be only their second appearance at the finals, the Black Stars have enjoyed considerable success at all levels of international football.
Ghana is one of the most impressive African teams and the team members are anxious to position themselves as the cream of the continent.
Serbia Confederation: Europe Coach: Radomir Antić Star players: Milan Jovanović
Serbian national team was previously known as the Yugoslavia national football team and then as the Serbia and Montenegro national football team. The team played its first international game in August 2006 after Serbia declared independence. Yugoslavia participated in nine FIFA World Cup™ tournaments and Serbia and Montenegro participated in Germany 2006.
Serbia finished first in its group in the preliminary rounds ahead of group favourites France. They will be hoping to make an impression during their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup™ as an independent country.
Host Nation Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira Star players: Steven Pienaar, Siboniso Gaxa and Tsepho Masilela
South Africa, our own Bafana Bafana, will be playing in Tshwane on Youth Day, June 16. The Tshwane crowd is passionate about their national team and will be fully behind them in 2010.
The team made an excellent showing in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 making it through to the semifinals. South Africa's first participation in the FIFA World Cup™ was at France 1998, only 6 years after their re-admittance to the international arena. They also qualified for Korea/Japan 2002.
Spain Champions of Europe Coach: Vicente del Bosque. Star players: Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi Hernández
Spain has taken part in 12 out of the 18 finals of the FIFA World Cup™ including every tournament since failing to reach Germany 1974.
The team won the UEFA EURO championship in 1964 and again in 2008. Spain has been building on the most recent victory and after some exciting performances in the preliminary rounds, is expected to be a formidable opponent during 2010.
Uruguay Confederation: South America Coach: Oscar Tabarez Star players: Diego Forlán,
Uruguay, with a general population of less than 4 million inhabitants, is the smallest nation in the world ever to win a FIFA World Cup™ and they have done so on 2 occasions.
Uruguay won the first ever FIFA World Cup™ in 1930 as hosts, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final. They won their second title in 1950, upsetting hosts Brazil 2-1 in the Final match. They will be hoping to improve on their more recent performance as the last time they advanced beyond the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup finals was at Mexico 1970, when they finished in fourth place.
USA Confederation: North America Coach: Bob Bradley Stars: Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra, DaMarcus Beasley
Tshwane as host city will warmly welcome the USA to 2010. Apart from South Africa, USA citizens have bought more tickets to the 2010 tournament than any other country.
Team USA will be hoping to improve on its 2002 FIFA World Cup™ performance, when they reached the quarterfinals. They appear to be in good form, having achieved second place at the Confederations Cup 2009 and finished top of their 2010 qualifying group.
Making Tshwane their home...
USA and Ghana are staying in Tshwane in addition to playing at Loftus and four other teams are making the Capital their home:
Argentina Confederation: South America Coach: Diego Maradona Star players: Lionell Messi, Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez
Tshwane will be the proud base camp of Argentina which is one of the most successful national football teams in the world, and is currently sixth in the FIFA world rankings. The team won the FIFA World Cup in 1978 and 1986 and is coming to South Africa with the 2010 Cup firmly in their sights. Coach Diego Maradona is widely considered to be the greatest footballer ever to walk onto a pitch.
"I tell my players that 30 days of sacrifice for the chance to kiss the World Cup is nothing in the life of a man. An achievement like that is like touching the sky. I played in World Cups and I reached two Finals. I know what it takes. I know how to lead the group and how to coach the players. I've earned the right to talk about the subject. I didn't come eighth, ninth or get knocked out in the first round. I know something about this." Diego Maradona
2006 FIFA World Cup™ champions Confederation: Europe Coach: Marcello Lippi Star players: Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso
The Italians were the darling of Tshwane during last years’ Confederations Cup and are once again availing themselves of a warm Tshwane base camp welcome.
Italy won two successive FIFA World Cup™ tournaments in 1934 and 1938 with Brazil being the only other team to achieve this. They also won the 1982 tournament and their win in Germany 2006 makes them the reigning champions. They will no doubt be hoping to repeat their predecessors’ feat and win a unique place for themselves in history.
Germany Confederation: Europe Coach: Joachim Low Star players: Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Pondolski
Tshwane will have the honour of hosting Germany, the hosts of the 2006 tournament and one of the world’s most successful soccer nations. Germany will arrive in South Africa with high hopes and expectations of returning home with this year’s trophy.
Germany is three-time winner of the FIFA World Cup™ having triumphed at Switzerland 1954, on home soil in 1974 and at Italy 1990. They have played in all but 2 of the World Cup tournaments and are consistent in reaching the final knockout stages of the tournament.
Slovakia Confederation: Europe Coach: Vladimir Weiss Star players: Martin Skrtel, Marek Hamsik, Stanislav Sestak
Slovakia, who will participate in the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time as an independent nation after the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, can look forward to a warm welcome from Tshwane as its host city.
Slovakia has progressively improved their performance in the preliminary rounds over the last few tournaments until this year when they qualified top of UEFA Group 3 ahead of Slovenia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, and Poland.
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