The excitement is building as we get a week away and the anticipation of the 1st African World Cup is building, its going to be great. We finish Group F with Slovakia.

OFFICIAL NAME: Slovenský Futbalový Zväz



NICKNAME: Bojovni Jondovci (The Fighting Jondas)

FIFA CONFEDERATION: UEFA (Europe)

FIFA CODE: SVK

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: 1st place in Group 3 of UEFA Qualifying

WORLD CUP APPEARANCES (INCLUDING 2010): 8 as Czechoslovakia, 1st as Slovakia

BEST WC FINISH: Runners-up in Italy 1934 & Chile 1962 (Both as Czechoslovakia)

WORLD CUP RECORD (MP: Wins - Draws - Losses): 30: 11W - 5D - 14L (As Czechoslovkia)

HEAD COACH: Vladimír Weiss

MOST CAPPED PLAYER (# of caps): Miroslav Karhan (96)

ALL-TIME GOAL SCORING LEADER (# of goals): Szilárd Németh (22)

BRIEF FOOTBALLING HISTORY:
Slovaks participated in international football as part of Czechoslovakia for 50 years until Slovakia gained its independence in 1993. As part of the Czechoslovakia team, Slovaks contributed to 2 World Cup final match appearances. Losing to Italy in the 1934 final and Garrincha & Pele's Brazil in the 1962 final.

Slovakia's national side played its first game as an independent nation in 1994 and 16 years later qualified for its first World Cup. Slovakia exacted a bit of political and football revenge by eliminating the Czech Republic who were in the same qualifying group.

PLAYER TO WATCH:
Slovakia's player to watch has an excellent professional reputation in Italy and could be on his way to a big club, he is Marek Hamšík.
(Marek-Hamsik.com)
The 22-year old Napoli star has already earned his nation's captaincy and is the key to Slovakia's attack. Hamšík is in a position to play his way to a bigger club if he plays well and can lead Slovakia out of the group stage. Hamšík will be the focus of opposition defenses so his playmaking abilities will have to be sharp for Slovakia to advance.

OUTLOOK:
Slovakia can take a page from Ghana in 2006 in that their 1st WC appearance they can advance out of the group stage. Slovakia is not to be taken lightly and tactically Slovakia can give fits to both Italy and Paraguay.

FINAL 23-MAN WC ROSTER:
Goalkeepers: Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw, Poland), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui, Romania), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United, Scotland)

Defenders: Marek Cech (West Brom, England), Jan Durica (Hannover, Germany), Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg, Germany), Martin Petras (Cesena, Italy), Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool, England), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz, Germany)

Midfielders: Marek Hamsik (Napoli, Italy), Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), Jan Kozak (Politehnica Timisoara, Romania), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague, Czech Republic), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu, Turkey), Zdeno Strba (Xanthi, Greece), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea, England), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City)

Forwards: Filip Holosko (Besiktas, Turkey), Martin Jakubko (Saturn Moscow, Russia), Erik Jendrisek (Schalke, Germany), Stanislav Sestak (Bochum, Germany), Robert Vittek (Lille, France).

WC GROUP SCHEDULE:
June 15 vs. New Zealand
June 20 vs. Paraguay
June 24 vs. Italy

Up next are the teams from Group G, the so-called "The Group of Death"