Cristiano Ronaldo during a training session in Covilha, Portugal, on Sunday

Portugal will arrive in South Africa with the weighty expectations of demanding coach Carlos Queiroz on their shoulders. The former Manchester United assistant coach has tipped his side to be among the final four at the World Cup.

“Portugal are one of the favourites in the race for one of these places,” insists Queiroz. “World Cup history has shown us that there are always three big favourites in the semi-finals. Portugal and some 15 other teams will be soliciting the outsider’s place.”

According to the Mozambique-born Queiroz, the favourites, whom he has labelled “dinosaurs” — were Brazil, Italy, England, Germany, Spain and Argentina.

“In every match we have a good chance of winning. We know it and, more importantly, our rivals know it as well,” Queiroz said.

Portugal, who were semi-finalists in the 2006 and 1966 World Cups, have been drawn in Group G, easily the ‘group of death’, alongside Brazil, Ivory Coast and Korea DPR. They kick off against Ivory Coast on June 15 in Port Elizabeth, meet Korea DPR in Cape Town six days later, and wrap up their pool games against Brazil in Durban on June 25.

“It’s a fantastic group,” Queiroz said. “And we’ve got North Korea too, a team that triggers good memories of the 1966 World Cup (when Portugal came back from three goals down to beat them 5-3 in the quarter finals). Deep down, I hope that we’re already qualified by the time we face Brazil in our third match, but counting on that would be to show a lack of respect for our other two opponents.”

Queiroz included Real Madrid’s Pepe, who is still getting over knee surgery from December, in his provisional 24-strong squad, which will have to be trimmed to 23 before June 1.

“Unknowns can emerge from the time the players get together and we want to be sure that when the time comes to take decisions everyone is ready,” said Queiroz.

Portugal did not have the smoothest of rides to Africa and their qualification was hanging by a thread till the last round of qualification matches.

The Euro 2004 finalists recorded only one win from their first five group matches, moving quickly from being group favourites to standing on the cusp of elimination. The second half of qualification brought a spectacular transformation, however, and they scored eight goals and kept a clean sheet in their last four group qualifiers to earn a play-off spot.

Despite the absence of Ronaldo for the two-legged play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina, they won home and away to clinch a comfortable 2-0 aggregate victory. But the team will have their talismanic striker in South Africa. The Portuguese team also boasts a strong defensive line-up led by Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho and a steady midfield marshalled by Simao and Deco. (Agencies)