The final line-up for next year's World Cup in South Africa will not be known until November,but here is the picture so far. ALREADY QUALIFIED Japan became the first country,apart from hosts South Africa,to book their place in the finals when they defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 on Saturday and were quickly followed by fellow Asian qualifiers South Korea and Australia. South Korea qualified for their seventh successive finals while Australia made it through the Asian group for the first time since transferring from Oceania. Netherlands became the first European team to seal their place when they beat Iceland 2-1 in Reykjavik - their sixth successive victory in Group Nine. They will be among the strong challengers from the European group. THE BIG CONTENDERS European champions Spain,looking one of the favourites for 2010,are top of Group Five having won all their six matches so far. World champions Italy are top of European Group Eight,a point ahead of Ireland. But France,World champions in 1998,runners-up in 2006 and building a new team for next year,could be eight points behind Group Seven leaders Serbia albeit with two matches in hand if Serbia beat the Faroe Islands as expected on Wednesday. England won their sixth successive Group Six qualifier when they beat Kazakhstan 4-0 on Saturday. If they defeat Andorra as expected on Wednesday they will need only three points from their last three games to qualify. Three-times world champions Germany have won five and drawn one in Group Four and should qualify,with Russia likely to take a playoff place. After some earlier bad performances,Brazil moved top of the single South American group with a 4-0 win over Uruguay on Saturday while Argentina,now coached by Diego Maradona,beat Colombia 1-0 to ease their anxiety by moving up to fourth. Paraguay and Chile are second and third. The top four teams qualify from that group. NATIONS WHO RISK ELIMINATION With the European and South American qualifying groups all at approximately the halfway stage,most of the traditional football powers are well on course to qualify. However Portugal,semi-finalists in Germany in 2006 and bidding to reach their sixth successive major tournament including the last three European Championships,are in danger of failing,despite their last-minute win over Albania on Saturday. Portugal are third in Group One behind Denmark and Hungary and will need a big improvement in form over the second half of the campaign to stand any chance of qualifying. Turkey,semi-finalists in 2002 but eliminated in the play-offs for 2006,are struggling in Group Five behind European champions Spain and Bosnia. Their chances of making the finals do not look good. Poland,co-hosts of Euro 2012,are trailing Slovakia and Northern Ireland in third place in Group Three and need a win over the latter in September to revive their chances. The Czechs,European champions in 1976 and runners-up in 1996,are fourth and look too far behind to qualify. Mexico,once a regular qualifier from the CONCACAF (North and Central American zone) are in danger of missing out after losing to El Salvador at the weekend. ASIAN ZONE Apart from Japan,Australia and South Korea who have already qualified,one automatic place and two playoff slots are still open. North Korea missed out on their chance of securing their first appearance since 1966 when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Iran. Saudi Arabia look the most likely to take the last automatic Asian berth but even if North Korea fail to advance automatically,they could win a playoff place against New Zealand,winners of the Oceania zone. The two Koreas have never played at the same World Cup finals. AFRICAN ZONE The final African qualifiers have just started with only one or two matches played. More are scheduled later this month. The five group winners will qualify for the finals and are likely to come from Morocco,Togo or Cameroon (Group A); Nigeria or Tunisia (Group B); African champions Egypt or Algeria (Group C); Ghana or Mali (Group D) and probably Ivory Coast from Group E. Major contenders Cameroon and Morocco,who are both in the same group,need a sharp improvement after losing their opening games and drawing with each other in their second. Unheralded Gabon top their group with two successive wins and are emerging as surprise contenders after following up their shock opening win over Morocco with a 3-0 victory against Togo on Saturday. Many Africans playing for top European clubs,such as Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast and Chelsea),Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast and Arsenal),Michael Essien (Ghana and Chelsea),Seydou Keita (Mali and Barcelona),have their eyes on the finals and their presence in South Africa would certainly attract more African fans. CONCACAF Costa Rica top the CONCACAF zone after wins over the United States and Trinidad & Tobago,although the U.S. remain on course in second place after beating Honduras. Mexico are struggling in fifth place in the six-team group although new coach Javier Aguirre says their position is not as perilous as it appears with six matches still to play. OCEANIA New Zealand,whose one previous appearance was in Spain in 1982,are two matches away from a place after winning the first Oceania Zone competition since Australia left to join the more competitive Asian competition. New Zealand will play off with an Asian team over two legs with the winners taking a place in the finals.
