As a number of managers prepare for the World Cup playoffs, others can already plan ahead for next summers tournament in South Africa. More than twenty teams are secure in qualification alongside the host nation.

In the hotly-contested European places are three former World Cup winners and the reigning European Champions. England, Germany and Italy will all fancy their chances of going all the way with the Italians looking to retain the crown they so dramatically won against France in 2004. The Germans always provide tough opposition for whomever they play and the 1990 winners will expect to reach the latter stages as a minimum. England’s qualification under Fabio Capello was relatively straightforward but tournaments never quite seem to provide similar comfort.

2006 European Champions Spain have strength in depth in the squad and with Torres, Fabregas, and David Villa to name but three of the players at the disposal of Vincente del Bosque, they have the potential to be real challengers for the crown. The Netherlands are often considered to be the best side never to have won the World Cup and once again they will attempt to add to their 1988 European Championship victory. Denmark, who succeeded the Dutch winning the same title in 1992, will join Switzerland, Slovakia and Serbia in South Africa.

Ghana were runaway qualifiers in Africa and Ivory Coast will also represent an emerging continent in football power. Ever since Cameroon reached the quarter finals in 1990, the world has been looking to an African team to make a real bid for domination on a global level. With an increasing number of players playing their trade in the top leagues such as Spain and England, there is no reason why 2010 should not see an African team progress through the group stages and beyond.

South America has provided it’s fair share of World Champions and five-times holders Brazil and two-time winners Argentina head the contingent from the football-mad continent. Whilst Brazil were always odds-on to make South Africa, Diego Maradona-led Argentina did not make it easy for themselves and their ability to mount a serious attempt on the trophy is still under question. Paraguay and Chile also made the top four qualifying places and may produce a couple of surprises in their respective groups.

Also joining the party in South Africa are the USA, Mexico and Honduras from the North and Central Americas. The USA have an excellent recent qualifying record and have previously made progress past the group stages. Mexico have also made impacts in previous tournament but the Hondurans are an unknown quantity at World level.

Perhaps the most interesting qualification comes from Asia with Australia and 2002 joint hosts Japan being joined with both North and South Korea. The potential for a meeting at some point during the tournament is probably very low but the match, if it did arise, would be one of the most keenly contested and eagerly viewed in the entire competition.