France

Founded: 1919

Affiliated: 1804

Les Bleus intend to lay ghosts of 2002 to rest

On July 12, 1998, Les Bleus ignited France with a fire that burned on for days when they ripped Brazil apart in a sensational 3-0 World Cup final victory on home soil. A million euphoric Frenchmen and women sung and danced all night long on the famous Champs Elysees in Paris. The celebrations went on for days. The superbly talented Zinedine Zidane crowned a glittering tournament performance with two goals against the South Americans in the final. France, founder members of Fifa, have competed in 11 World Cup finals, but the 1998 achievement eclipses all else. Dazzling performances from players like Zidane, Youri Djorkaeff and Fabien Barthez enraptured the footballing world. Under coach Aime Jacquet, the home team were simply unbeatable.

Sixty years earlier in 1938, France had hosted another World Cup. On that occasion, the host team was less fortunate, going out in the quarter final to eventual champions Italy. Twenty years later, in Sweden in 1958, Just Fontaine set a finals record with 13 goals ? a record that remains unbroken to this day. In the years that followed, France produced many great talents. In the 1980s, players like Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana thrilled lovers of the game with their agility and flair.

But despite possessing one of the best midfields ever assembled, France fell twice to Germany in consecutive semi-finals, first in a dramatic thriller in Spain in 1982 and then in Mexico in 1986. In Seville, France led 3-1 in extra time before Germany fought back to win on penalties.

Two years after winning the 1998 World Cup, France continued their sensational run by triumphing in the 2000 European Championships. They defeated Italy 2-1 in the final with an extra-time golden goal by David Trezeguet in a heart-stopping final in Rotterdam.

France duly travelled to the 2002 finals in the Far East as both world and European champions but in the ensuing debacle, Les Bleus failed to score a single goal and finished bottom of their first-round group before returning home. Two years later at Euro 2004, it was pretty much a case of the same problems and same punishment. Beaten in the quarter finals by Greece, the French were now forced to admit that their golden period was over. This year they will be looking to put the ghosts of 2002 to rest.

Put in charge of a France team in the throes of transition, coach Raymond Domenech embarked on the qualifying campaign for Germany in an unenviable position. The situation was further exacerbated by the mass retirement from international duty of players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Claude Makelele, Lilian Thuram and Zidane. Savaged in the media after drab displays in a Group IV generally assumed to be theirs for the taking (with Switzerland, Israel, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands), Domenech steadfastly continued to lead Les Bleus down his chosen road.

At a glance

44 played, 21 won, 7 drawn, 16 lost, 86 goals scored, 61 goals conceded

Finals appearances

1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002

Performance

• Champions ? 1998
• Third ? 1958, 1986
• Fourth ? 1982
• Quarter finalist ? 1938
• First round ? 1930, 1934, 1954, 1966, 1978, 2002

Biggest victory

7-3 ? vs Paraguay in 1958

Top scorer

Just Fontaine ? 13 goals (all in 1958, still a record for maximum goals scored in one finals edition; the tally included two hattricks, vs Paraguay and West Germany)

In 2002 World Cup

3 played, 1 drawn, 2 lost, no goal scored, 3 goals conceded Eliminated from group league stage

South Korea

Founded: 1928

Affiliated: 1948

South Koreans look to maintain the miracle

With the 2002 World Cup now a fond memory, South Korea face a tall order in trying to emulate the achievement of reaching the semi-finals on home soil when they travel to Germany for their sixth successive finals appearance. Some unconvincing displays in qualifying ? where they lost two and drew three of their 12 matches ? should at least provide a note of caution for their highly expectant fans.

The South Koreans suffered an early embarrassment on the road to Germany when they were held to a goalless draw in the Maldives in the second match of the preliminary group stage. That result cost Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho his job, and led to the appointment of Dutchman Jo Bonfrere who guided the team through to Asian last eight with no further slip-ups.

However, come the final qualifying round last year, South Korean confidence took several more dents, including a 0-2 loss to Saudi Arabia. Although they then defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in Seoul, it took an injury-time equaliser from debutant Park Chu-Young to rescue a point in the return match in Tashkent on June 3 last year. A 4-0 drubbing of Kuwait five days later secured their place at Germany, but after a 0-1 home loss to Saudi Arabia in their final qualifier in August, Bonfrere later resigned amid criticism of the team’s lacklustre performances, paving the way for the entrance of Dick Advocaat.South Korea are Asia’s most frequent visitors to the World Cup finals, and first appeared at the global showpiece in 1954. Prior to 2002, however, they had not managed a single win in 14 finals matches. That all changed under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink who led them to the last four, a stunning run that ended only with a 0-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals.

Although there have been changes to the South Korean side since, the heroes of 2002 all retain key roles. Park Ji-Sung, now at Manchester United, provides a genuine attacking threat from midfield, while left-back Lee Young-Pyo is a key figure in a defence that operates in front of experienced goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae. There are plenty of options up front, with Ahn Jung-Hwan, whose golden goal defeated Italy. Coach Dick Advocaat ? the third Dutchman at the helm of South Korea? could field three forwards given the players available and will also no doubt consider the merits of youngster Park Chu-Young, who showed his predatory instincts by scoring twice in his three qualifying appearances. Whatever Advocaat’s selection, this former Netherlands trainer knows that matching the feats of his compatriot Hiddink is not going to be easy.

At a glance

21 played, 3 won, 6 drawn, 12 lost, 19 goals scored, 49 goals conceded (All three wins came in the 2002 finals)

Finals appearances

1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002

Performance

• Fourth ? 2002
• First round ? 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998

In 2002 World Cup

7 played, 3 won, 2 drawn, 2 lost, 8 goals scored, 6 goals conceded

Finished fourth after losing to Turkey

Biggest victory

2-0 ? vs Poland in 2002

Top scorer

Hong Myung Bo & Ahn Jung-Hwan ? 2 goals each

Switzerland

Founded: 1895

Affiliated: 1904

Swiss relish German adventure

After failing to qualify for France in 1998 and Korea-Japan in 2002, Switzerland made amends for missing out on the previous two World Cup finals by claiming a place at the 2006 edition. The away-goal rule was the decisive factor in their success, as Kobi Kuhn’s side edged through by a wafer-thin margin in a heart-stopping play-off against Turkey.

Despite falling 2-4 in their second leg in Istanbul, they advanced by virtue of their 2-0 victory in Bern. The tournament in Germany will be the first World Cup appearance since 1994 for the Swiss who are due to host the 2008 Uefa European Championship jointly with Austria. Switzerland made it to the round of sixteen on their last finals appearance at US in 1994, but fell 0-3 against Spain despite the presence of established stars such as Ciriaco Sforza and Stephane Chapuisat. The current youthful and ambitious crop will be hoping to achieve at least as much in their country’s eighth finals outing in Germany, and some observers believe they have the potential to emerge as the surprise package of the tournament. .

Before the play-off second-leg defeat by Turkey, the Swiss had gone a full year and 14 straight games without defeat, evidence of the growing strength of a team that includes players who attracted rave reviews at various under-age levels. Their line-up in the play-offs featured Tranquillo Barnetta and Philippe Senderos, both of whom claimed Uefa European U-17 Championship honours in 2002.

Kuhn’s men remained undefeated throughout their qualifying campaign in European Group IV, amassing 18 points from ten fixtures. The highlights of a solid campaign included two draws against France and an identical result against Ireland, although in the tightest of all the European sections, the Swiss were left sweating right to the end before edging out Israel for second place.

The team marshalled by skipper Johann Vogel features a healthy blend of youth and experience. Veteran keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler barks out commands at the back, while Hamburg midfielder Raphael Wicky stamps his authority on the midfield. Philippe Senderos and Tranquillo Barnetta unquestionably belong in the international game, while Alexander Frei has at times shown a killer instinct in front of goal. Switzerland coach Jakob ‘Kobi’ Kuhn took the helm in 2001 and has presided over a successful period in the national team’s history. Kuhn claimed six Swiss championship winners’ medals as a midfielder with FC Zurich, where he spent his entire playing career save for a two-month flirtation with local rivals Grasshoppers. He earned 63 international caps and enjoyed a productive stint as U-21 national coach before stepping up to the senior job.

At a glance

22 played, 6 won, 3 drawn, 13 lost, 33 goals scored, 51 goals conceded

Finals appearances

1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994

Performance

• Quarter finalist ? 1934, 1938, 1954
• Pre quarter finalist ? 1994 First round ? 1950, 1962, 1966
• Didn’t qualify for 2002 finals

Biggest victory

4-1 ? vs Romania in 1994

Top scorer

Telo Abegglen ? 5 goals

Togo

Founded: 1960

Affiliated: 1962

World Cup debut

Togo defy the odds

If Togo were unlikely contenders for a first World Cup finals place at the outset of their campaign, then their first three qualifiers did little to alter that impression. The Hawks started off in late 2003 with a 0-1 defeat to lowly Equatorial Guinea and although they won the return leg in Lome 2-0 to reach the group stage of the qualifiers, there was little expected of them. An opening Group I defeat to Zambia appeared to set the tone for a struggle, but 15 days later everything changed.

A 3-1 triumph over group favourites and Senegal proved the catalyst for an impressive unbeaten run by coach Stephen Keshi’s side. After drawing in Liberia, they secured four straight victories before travelling to Dakar in June where the talismanic Emmanuel Adebayor’s 71st-minute goal secured the 2-2 draw that kept them two points clear at the top, an advantage they retained with subsequent victories over Liberia and Congo.

A record of seven wins and just one defeat in ten qualifiers is remarkable for a country who finished their previous three World Cup qualifying campaigns ranked fourth in their group.

Togo may have reached the CAF African Cup of Nations finals five times, but this is far and away their greatest footballing achievement. The former Nigerian international Keshi (he captained his country at USA 94) took the Togo job after being dismissed as Nigeria’s assistant coach after their semi-final exit from the 2002 Nations Cup. Initially his sights were set on a top-three finish but, as he says, “When we saw Germany in sight, I told my players that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance”.

The Nigerian connection does not end there as strikers Adebayor and Oulfade Adekanmi were both born in Nigeria but opted to represent Togo. Adebayor is the undoubted hero of Togolese football ? and has already surpassed the legend status of 1960s hero Frank Fiawoo, who played for Olympique Marseille and Bastia in France.

Based with Monaco in Ligue 1, the tall, lanky Adebayor scored 11 goals ? finding the net against all five of Togo’s Group 1 opponents ? to finish as the top marksman in African qualifying.

A record of seven wins and just one defeat in ten qualifiers is remarkable for a country who finished their previous three World Cup qualifying campaigns ranked fourth in their group.

Togo may have reached the CAF African Cup of Nations finals five times, but this is far and away their greatest footballing achievement. The former Nigerian international Keshi (he captained his country at USA 94) took the Togo job after being dismissed as Nigeria’s assistant coach after their semi-final exit from the 2002 Nations Cup. Initially his sights were set on a top-three finish but, as he says, “When we saw Germany in sight, I told my players that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance”.

The Nigerian connection does not end there as strikers Adebayor and Oulfade Adekanmi were both born in Nigeria but opted to represent Togo. Adebayor is the undoubted hero of Togolese football ? and has already surpassed the legend status of 1960s hero Frank Fiawoo, who played for Olympique Marseille and Bastia in France. Based with Monaco in Ligue 1, the tall, lanky Adebayor scored 11 goals ? finding the net against all five of Togo’s Group 1 opponents ? to finish as the top marksman in African qualifying.

fifaworldcup.com and Hari Prasad Chattopadhyay