SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa's World Cup record: 1998 1st rd, 2002 1st rd.

How South Africa qualified for World Cup 2010: Hosts

The Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazilian, 66). Appointed: October 2009. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: 1982 (Kuwait), 1990 (UAE), 1994 (Brazil), 2006 (Brazil).

Parreira is noted for having been one of only two coaches that has led four national teams to the World Cup.

The Country: South Africa failed to impress local supporters by not scoring a single goal in the African Nations Cup of 2006. In light of these poor performances it was decided that the hiring of a more experienced manager was essential. Rumours began to circulate, suggesting that England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson was to be the man for the job.

Former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira accepted the job in 2007 targeting the World Cup finals but he resigned in April 2008 due to family reasons. However, last month, he returned after a short spell with Fluminese.

They will need all his expertise. South Africa hosted the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, a year before their World Cup, and finished in fourth place, coming through the group stages with a win over New Zealand and a draw with Iraq, despite a loss to Spain. They then lost in the semi-finals to Brazil, conceding a late free-kick after holding the South Americans at bay for most of the match.

In the 3rd-place play-off, they lost to Spain after extra time, despite leading 1-0 at one stage. For many commentators, the ability of Bafana Bafana to stand up to the South American and European champions showed just how far the team - and players such as Kagisho Dikgacoi - had come.