Your ultimate guide to the World Cup play-offs as Ronaldo, Suarez and Ibrahimovic aim to book Brazil 2014 spots



The guest list for the greatest show on earth is almost drawn up – just 11 invitations remain to hand out.

Over the coming week, the final places at next summer’s World Cup in Brazil will be filled as the play-offs are completed. There are four ties in Europe, five second legs in Africa and two inter-continental deciders.

Here’s our guide to the play-off action around the globe as the last contenders scramble to get into the draw on December 6.

Head-to-head: There will be 11 places up for grabs for next summer's World Cup finals

EUROPE



GREECE v ROMANIA

When are the matches? First Leg in Piraeus on Friday (kick-off 7pm UK time); Second Leg in Bucharest on Tuesday (6pm).



How did we get to this stage? Greece’s 3-1 defeat in Zenica back in March made all the difference as Bosnia topped Group G by a hair’s breadth.

Greece and Bosnia took the group by storm and the two nations finished on 25 points. Romania were in Group D but were never likely to keep pace with Holland who stuffed eight goals past them in the two meetings.

In the end, Romania claimed a play-off spot after winning a three-way tussle with Hungary and Turkey.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Greece made the World Cup for the first time in 1994 but were given a baptism of fire and lost all three group matches without scoring. They showed an aptitude for these tense play-off scenarios when they beat Ukraine by a solitary goal over two legs to reach the 2010 finals but again failed to get beyond the group stages.

Romania haven’t qualified for the finals since 1998 and you may remember that they beat England in that tournament before losing to Croatia in the last 16. Their best performance came at USA ’94 when they stunned Argentina before losing in the quarter-finals to Sweden on penalties.

Calling No 9: Romania will turn to experienced striker Ciprian Marica (right) to bag their goals

High five: Dimitris Salpigidis (left) notched three goals during the group stages for Greece

FIFA Ranking: Greece – 15th; Romania – 29th



Coaches: Greece’s Portuguese coach Fernando Santos defied expectations to take Greece through a tricky group containing Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic at Euro 2012 but there will now be much greater pressure as a nation watches with high hopes.

Romania’s Victor Piturca is in his third spell with the national team and has a good record in qualifying. He made Euro 2000 undefeated but was removed from his post before the tournament, and in his second spell, Romania made Euro 2008 without the need for the play-offs.



Top scorers: Greece’s 12 goals in qualifying were shared fairly evenly around the team, though PAOK striker Dimitris Salpingidis scored a quarter of them.

Getafe frontman Ciprian Marica has 24 goals in 66 appearances for Romania over the last decade and five of them came in this qualification campaign.



Player to watch: Greece prided themselves on their defensive frugality during qualifying – as indeed they did during their improbable Euro 2004 success – and so Borussia Dortmund centre-half Sokratis Papastathopoulos will be to the fore. He played all but one of the qualifiers and has started to feel his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans since moving from Werder Bremen in the summer for £8.3million.

Therefore, it will be Romania’s job to break them down and 23-year-old Gabriel Torje will be expected to produce some testing deliveries from the right wing. There has been quite a lot of buzz around Torje and he already has 33 caps and 10 goals for his country. He is currently on loan at Espanyol from Udinese though he has been linked in passing with a move to a big European side.

PORTUGAL v SWEDEN

When are the matches? First Leg in Lisbon on Friday (7.45pm); Second Leg in Solna on Tuesday (6.45pm) .

TV Coverage: Sky Sports One are showing both matches live



How did we get to this stage? Portugal made heavy weather of a group they probably should have won. A defeat in Russia early on and dropped points against Israel (twice) and Northern Ireland meant Fabio Capello’s side edged the contest by a single point.

Sweden were always likely to finish second to Germany in Group C, though the eight-point margin was a bit embarrassing, especially since both encounters between the side were eight-goal thrillers. The Swedes edged out Austria in the end to give themselves this second opportunity.



Have they been to the World Cup before? After many long, barren years, Portugal have been regulars at the World Cup in the last decade. The highlight was a fourth place finish in 2006 after Zinedine Zidane and France had brought their dream of a first final to an end. In 2010, they ran into a brick wall in the form of Spain.

The Swedes have a long and proud World Cup tradition and their failure to reach South Africa in 2010 was a surprise for a side that always seem to qualify for big tournaments. They were runners up to Brazil’s excellent class of 1958 and have twice been in third place - latterly in 1994.

Missing the plane: Brazil 2014 may not feature one of the world's best players in Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo Last chance? At 32, (left) this may be Zlatan Ibrahimovic's final opportunity to appear in a third World Cup

Surprise hotshot: Former Tottenham striker Helder Postiga was Portugal's top scorer in the group stage

FIFA Ranking: Portugal - 14th; Sweden - 25th



Coaches: The travails in qualification must have come as a shock to Paulo Bento after his success in guiding the side to the semi-finals of the European Championships - where Spain beat them on spot-kicks. While the nation’s Golden Generation has been and gone, you would have imagined the squad possessed enough talent to make it through by the direct route.

Sweden’s Erik Hamren is also well-versed in what it takes to qualify and the undoubted highlight of his four years was his team’s comeback from four goals down in Berlin during this latest campaign.



Top scorers: Portugal’s top scorer? That’s easy, it has to be Ronaldo right? Wrong. It’s veteran Helder Postiga, who scored six in the group stage as he seeks to play in his fifth major tournament. One of those was a massively important winner against Russia in Lisbon.

And matching him goal-for-goal was Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who hit the target in half of the games.



Player to watch: Cristiano Ronaldo. Who else? While this tie screams entertainment, there is the disheartening reality that one of either Ronaldo or Zlatan will miss out on the World Cup. The Real Madrid man simply gets better and better, revelling in his unplayability and scoring goals at such a rate it’s sometimes hard to keep up. He has 43 in 107 appearances for Portugal - four short of Pauleta’s all-time record - and he has 24 club goals already this season.

Not that such records would stop Ibrahimovic scoffing. After all, he has more goals for Sweden (46) and in fewer matches (94). Impudent, audacious, arrogant, this is a footballer at the absolute zenith of his powers and doing it all with a smirk on his face. Brazil 2014 would be a lesser place without him too you know...



UKRAINE v FRANCE

When are the matches? First leg in Kiev on Friday (7.45pm); Second leg in Paris on Tuesday (8pm)



How did we get to this stage? England fans know all about Ukraine from the two draws played out in Group H during this round of qualifying. In the end, the home defeat to Montenegro in Kiev last year and the failure to beat England at the same venue 12 months on meant Ukraine fell just short.

France knew they were up against it as soon as the draw masters paired them with all-conquering Spain and so it proved. Pedro’s pivotal goal in Paris tipped the balance in Spain’s favour and they saw it through to leave France on the rocky road.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Ukraine’s one foray to the World Cup finals was a fair success as they reached the last eight at Germany 2006 before being unceremoniously pulled apart by eventual champions Italy.

France were, of course, runners-up that year and a World Cup without them would feel strange. Zidane’s magic in the finals of 1998 remains the high spot in Gallic football history.

Midfield poacher: Franck Ribery top scored for France playing in midfield Danger man: Yevhen Konoplyanka (top) caused England problems in qualifying

FIFA Ranking: Ukraine - 20th; France - 21st



Coaches: The greatest credit that can be paid to Mykhaylo Fomenko is that his Ukraine side, though not aesthetically pleasing, are incredibly hard to beat. They remain unbeaten in his short tenure though something may well be about to give.

It’s been a mixed bag for Didier Deschamps since he took over in the wake of Euro 2012. The qualification results have been fine but friendly defeats against Germany, Brazil and Uruguay have reminded everyone this is a work in progress.



Top scorers: Ukraine crashed in 28 goals in qualifying - 17 of which came at the expense of San Marino - but the goals were spread fairly evenly. Marko Devic and Andriy Yarmolenko scored four apiece though only two came against the minnows.

The often irresistible Franck Ribery top-scored for the French with five, showing Olivier Giroud (two goals) and Karim Benzema (one) how to do it from midfield.





Player to watch: He demonstrated his obvious talent in the 1-1 draw with England at Wembley - a game in which he scored with a superb curling shot - and now Yevhen Konoplyanka will want to prove it once more against a big name. His versatility is his strongest asset and he can play right across the midfield, which could come in handy.

At some point, France are going to have to score and there’s a lot of debate over whether Giroud or Benzema will get the nod. The former has eight goals so far this season, the latter has nine so it’s a close call. Perhaps Deschamps will go with both.



ICELAND v CROATIA

When are the matches? First leg in Reykjavik on Friday (7.45pm); Second leg in Zagreb on Tuesday (6.15pm)



How did we get to this stage? Group E was an open one anyway but Iceland still defied expectations by finishing runner-up to Switzerland and ahead of the much more fancied Norway and Slovenia. Astonishingly, they reached the play-offs having lost three games.

After a great start, things unravelled for Croatia in Group A and they ended up a long way behind Belgium. The fact that they lost home and away to Scotland suggests they may have some underlying problems too.



Have they been to the World Cup before? These are uncharted waters for the Icelandic team who don’t normally get a sniff of big tournament action.



Croatia, meanwhile, are chasing their fourth World Cup finals. They were unable to replicate the pinnacle of a third-place finish at France ’98 in the next two editions as they failed to get past the group stage.



Spurred on: Tottenham's Gylfi Sigurdsson will hope to lead Iceland to their first World Cup Madrid maestro: Croatia will look towards Luka Modric to create their chances

FIFA Ranking: Iceland - 46th; Croatia - 18th



Coaches: Whatever happens over the next week, Lars Lagerback will likely never have to buy a drink in Reykjavik again. Bringing all his experience from nine years with the Swedish national team, Lagerback transformed a team who are usually push-overs in qualification campaigns to the brink of a place in Brazil.

Croatia’s stuttering qualification group saw the end of Igor Stimac and it fell to former midfielder of 83 caps Niko Kovac to guide them over the line. The Iceland games will be his first in charge but he was under 21 coach before so should have a good knowledge of the set-up.



Top scorers: Tottenham’s Gylfi Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigborsson of Ajax have pushed them along the track towards qualification with four goals apiece. The latter scored the crucial goal in Norway that led to a 1-1 draw and won this play-off place.

Croatia only scored 12 times in their group and Bayern Munich forward Mario Mandzukic grabbed three of them including against Serbia at home and away.



Player to watch: There is a sprinkling of stardust in Iceland’s industrious team and with the possible exception of former Chelsea, Bolton and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen (who has been pulling on the national team jersey since 1995), it’s Sigurdsson who is probably best known.

Playing all but one game of the qualifying campaign, he not only scored four times but created three more. If Iceland are to achieve this miracle, he will be key.

A simple glance at Croatia’s squad proves that they have no excuse to mess this up. And yet their strikeforce of Mandzukic, Eduardo Da Silva, Ivica Olic and Nikica Jelavic were well below par in the group. As ever, Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric, who seems eternally linked with a return to the Premier League, will be instrumental with his service from midfield.



AFRICA



The 21 teams that have already qualified for Brazil 2014

Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran, South Korea, Holland, Italy, Costa Rica, United States, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, England, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras

We will see the full range of emotions in the Africa over the coming days as the 10 remaining combatants play the second legs of their play-off ties.



NIGERIA (2) v ETHIOPIA (1)

When is the match? In Calabar on Saturday (3pm kick-off UK time)



TV Coverage: The match is live on BT Sport 2



What happened in the first leg? The Super Eagles put themselves in the box seat to reach a fifth World Cup finals as Fenerbahce man Emmanuel Emenike converted a late penalty - his second goal of the match - to complete a comeback 2-1 win. Ethiopia had been the better team for an hour of the game and took the lead after 56 minutes through Behailu Assefa, only for Emenike to level 10 minutes afterwards.



Have they been to the World Cup before? The last two tournaments have been massively underwhelming for Nigeria - they finished beneath Argentina, South Korea and Greece in 2010 and were last in England’s group back in 2002.

Ethiopia have never qualified for the finals, while Nigeria are seeking to qualify for the fifth time since 1994.



First leg star: Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike (centre) takes on the Ethiopia defence in the first leg win

Premier League quality: Chelsea's Jon Obi Mikel (centre) is an important player in Nigeria's midfield

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria - 33rd; Ethiopia - 95th;



Coaches: Stephen Keshi, a former defender who won 64 caps for Nigeria, won the Cup of Nations in 2013 with a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the final.

Ethiopia boss Sewnet Bishaw has made great strides for Ethiopian football in his two spells in charge, helping them qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations in nearly three decades in 2011. If they can somehow win this tie, that will be far usurped.



Top scorers: For Nigeria, Emenike leads the way with three goals - including those two well-timed strikes in Addis Ababa.

21-year-old Getaneh Kebede has five goals in qualifying for Ethiopia and scored twice in the 5-0 win over Somalia that took them through into the second round. Saladin Said also has five so far, including a vital away goal against South Africa in the group stages.



Player to watch: There are plenty of recognisable faces in the Nigeria team, including Liverpool’s Victor Moses and Newcastle’s Shola Ameobi. Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel will perform his usual shield role in midfield.

If Ethiopia are to somehow turn this around, the aforementioned Saladin will be important. He has a great scoring record on the international stage, with 12 goals in 20 games and has spent time on loan at Lierse in Belgium this year.

SENEGAL (1) v IVORY COAST (3)

When is the match? In Casablanca, Morocco on Saturday (7pm). Senegal are banned from playing at home at the moment - there was rioting during the last meeting between the sides.



TV Coverage: The match is live on BT Sport 2



What happened in the first leg? Senegal have it all to do in their 'home' second leg after crashing to a 3-1 defeat in Abidjan last month. A Didier Drogba penalty, own goal from Lamine Sane and a third from Salomon Kalou gave the Elephants a commanding lead before Papiss Cisse pulled one back to give Senegal a glimmer of hope.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Senegal certainly made an impression on their one and only finals appearance when they stunned defending champions France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup. They ultimately lost to Turkey in the last eight and haven’t made it since.

The Ivory Coast have made the last two tournaments but have not yet got out of the group. In 2006, they weren’t helped by being paired with Argentina and the Netherlands, though they didn’t disgrace themselves on debut. In 2010, they were unable to pip Portugal to the place behind Brazil in Group G.



On his toes: Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba (left) takes on Senegal defender Pape Ndiaye Souare

Riots:A Senegalese policeman stands guard in front Drogba, after rioting Senegal fans caused Ivory Coast's African Cup of Nations qualifier against Senegal to be suspended last year

FIFA Ranking: Senegal - 64th; Ivory Coast - 17th



Coaches Alain Giresse, one corner of the legendary ‘Magic Square’ with Platini, Tigana and Fernandez in France’s Euro ’84 winning side, was appointed for Senegal this year but looks set to fall short on his World Cup objective.

His compatriot Sabri Lamouchi didn’t experience as much success during his playing days with France but the 42-year-old is making a good fist of his first managerial assignment.



Top scorers: You’ll know all about Papiss Cisse, who is Senegal’s top scorer in qualifying with five goals. The Newcastle striker scored against Uganda, Angola and Liberia in the earlier stages and grabbed that goal back in the first leg.

In the Ivory Coast’s star-studded team, Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou have both scored four times. Wilfried Bony and Drogba have three apiece also in a team certainly capable of finding the net.



Player to watch: Senegal’s is a very young and inexperienced squad for this tie, with 28-year-old Cisse, with his 26 caps, practically an elder statesman. Giresse has little choice but to throw the kitchen sink and so they need Cisse and Fenerbahce’s Moussa Sow to be lively.

Where do you start in the Ivory Coast side? The attacking thrust has already been mentioned, so if Senegal are to give it a go, the experience of Yaya (30), Kolo Toure (32) and former Spurs man Didier Zokora (32), now at Trabzonspor in Turkey, will be very useful.



CAMEROON (0) v TUNISIA (0)

When is the match? In Yaounde on Sunday (2pm)



TV Coverage: The match is live on BT Sport 1



What happened in the first leg? This tie is balanced on a knife-edge after a goalless draw in Rades. Both sides were guilty of missing golden chances - Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje made a series of saves, but the best chance fell to Pierre Webo who missed from five yards with the goal at his mercy.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Very much so. Cameroon first graced the World Cup in 1982 but it’s the team of 1990 that sticks in most people’s minds. They beat Argentina in the opening game - clinging on with nine men at the end - and eventually lost in extra time having pushed England all the way in the quarter-finals.2010 was a disaster for them, as defeats to Holland, Japan and Denmark meant an early exit.

It would be Tunisia’s fifth World Cup finals should they get through and their first since 2006. They have yet to get beyond the group, however.



Sliding in: Chelsea and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o (left) vies with Tunisian defender Alaeddin Yahia

FIFA Ranking: Cameroon - 59th; Tunisia - 47th



Coaches: German Volker Finke has been at the helm in Cameroon since May and led them through a qualifying group containing Libya, Congo DR and Togo with four wins from six.

Those of a certain generation will recall Ruud Krol in the Ajax and Dutch defence during the 1970s. Following the departure of Sami Trabelsi after their failure at the Cup of Nations, Tunisia have been dealing in stop-gaps and Krol is performing a joint role alongside his duties with national champions CS Sfaxien.



Top scorers: There’s not been too many goals to report for Cameroon in qualifying, so Samuel Eto’o’s two goals against Togo back in March are enough to make his the top scorer.

The former African Footballer of the Year, Oussama Darragi is top of the charts for Tunisia with three goals.



Player to watch: With goals of the essence, Eto’o is the obvious candidate and he does seem to have rediscovered his goalscoring touch in recent weeks with Chelsea. Also, Webo will be keen to atone for that horrendous miss that should have given Cameroon an away goal in the first leg.

Krol has rung the changes for the second leg, with seven new additions including Esperance striker Ahmed Akaichi and first-time call-up Edem Rjaibi of Bizertin - who wants to be a hero?



EGYPT (1) v GHANA (6)



When is the match? In Cairo on Tuesday (4pm)



TV Coverage: BT Sport 2



What happened in the first leg? Ghana essentially wrapped up their place in Brazil with a devastating performance in Kumasi as Egyptian football reached a real nadir. Asamoah Gyan thumped in the opener, before Michael Essien coaxed an own goal out of Wael Gomaa. Egypt pulled one back from the penalty spot but the Black Stars were in no mood to compromise and Majeed Waris and Gyan scored to make it 4-1.

Further goals later on by Sulley Muntari - a penalty - and Christian Atsu put Ghana, if not on the plane to Rio, then at least in the departure gate. There has been some discussion over whether this second leg should be played in Cairo because of the volatile security situation, but FIFA deemed it safe.



Have they been to the World Cup before? For all their strength in the Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt have struggled to perform in the World Cup - reaching the finals only in 1934 and 1990.

Ghana have shot to prominence in the last two tournaments and established their reputation as one of Africa’s foremost teams. In Germany 2006, they were well beaten by Brazil in the last 16 and four years later they captured the sympathy of the globe when controversially eliminated by Uruguay.



Rampage: Ghana's Abdul Majeed Waris (centre) scored against Egypt in a resounding 6-1 first leg win

FIFA Ranking: Egypt - 51st; Ghana - 23rd



Coaches: This will be Bob Bradley’s last match as Egypt manager. The authorities wanted to sack him after the first leg humiliation but would have had to pay over £300,000 to buy out his contract. So unless Bradley can conjure a miracle, he’ll be on his way after this stay of execution.

By contrast, Akwasi Appiah can’t have done much better. The former left-back was a surprise appointment last year but has done a fine job in qualifying.



Top scorers: They may have misfired in the first leg, but Egypt weren’t short of goals in the group stages and 12 of the 16 were scored by strike pairing Mohamed Aboutrika of Al-Ahly and Basel’s Mohamed Salah.

Their half a dozen are on a par with Ghana’s top scorer - Gyan. The three of them currently top the scoring charts for the African confederation in qualifying.



Player to watch: With five goals to make up, Bradley might as well go with all-out attack in this match - Aboutrika and Salah will feature, as will Hull City’s Gedo and Amr Zaki, who you may remember had loan spells at Hull and Wigan.

Ghana have more than enough class to see this out and may well grab a goal or two on the counter - hardly surprising with the likes of Gyan, Atsu and Marseille’s Andre Ayew in the ranks. It’s a formidable midfield too, with Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Muntari and Kwadwo Asamoah available for Appiah to choose from.

ALGERIA (2) v BURKINA FASO (3)



When is the match? In Bilda on Tuesday (6.15pm)



TV Coverage: The match is live on BT Sport 2



What happened in the first leg? A controversial late penalty gave Burkina Faso a slender advantage to take into the second leg. Algeria had twice come from behind in Ouagadougou when Essaid Belkalem was harshly penalised for handball with five minutes to play. Aristide Bance, who had earlier missed a spot-kick, converted to give Burkina Faso a 3-2 lead.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Burkina Faso have never made the finals, while Algeria are chasing a fourth appearance. They qualified in 1982 and 1986, before finally returning in 2010 when they held England to a goalless draw in the group stages.



Tangle: Algeria's Sofiane Feghouli (left) vies for the ball with Burkina Faso's Charles Kabore during the first leg

FIFA Ranking: Algeria - 32nd; Burkina Faso - 52nd



Coaches: The experienced Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic has been master of Algeria’s fortune since 2011. They disappointed at the Cup of Nations earlier in the year, failing to win a match but the 61-year-old has had better luck in trying to reach the World Cup.

Belgian Paul Put has performed wonders with the Burkina Faso side, taking them to the final of the Cup of Nations and to the brink of a maiden World Cup.



Top scorers: Things have moved on apace over the last year for Algeria frontman Islam Slimani, who earned a move to Sporting Lisbon over the summer and has prove himself a reliable international goalscorer too, with five of his nine goals in national colours coming in the qualifiers.

Two Burkina Faso players have scored three goals so far - Aristide Bance, who plays in Germany, kept his nerve at the end of the first leg, and Jonathan Pitroipa, the Rennes winger who was Player of the Tournament at the Cup of Nations.



Player to watch: Algeria were dealt a massive blow when Adlene Guedioura suffered a punctured lung and two broken ribs while playing for Crystal Palace. With a goal deficit to make up, it really is up to strikers Slimani and El Arbi Hillel Soudani, who plays in Croatia for Dinamo Zagreb, to power the team to the finals.

Burkina Faso, meanwhile, were boosted by the return from injury of star striker Alain Traore. It has been a frustrating year for the Lorient forward, who missed most of the Cup of Nations run, but there could be a late silver lining if he can return to help his side into the World Cup for the first time.

INTER-CONTINENTAL

MEXICO v NEW ZEALAND



When are the matches? In Mexico City today (8.30pm) and in Wellington next Wednesday (6am)



TV Coverage: Today’s match is on British Eurosport, while the second leg is on Premier Sports



How did we get to this stage? It has not been the usual procession for Mexico in qualifying. They’ve drawn half of their games in the final North American group - known as 'The Hex' - and so had to settle for the play-off berth behind automatic qualifiers United States, Costa Rica and Honduras. And it took a late win over Panama in their penultimate game to secure even that.

New Zealand cruised through the group stage in Oceania qualifying, winning all six games.



Have they been to the World Cup before? The disappointment in Mexico’s qualifying campaign comes from the fact that they are regulars at the World Cup - missing out only five times in the history of the competition.

They have been eliminated at the last 16 stage on their last five appearances. New Zealand made it in 1982 and then in 2010 but were unable quite to make it out of a group containing Paraguay, Slovakia and Italy. They did finish above the four-times winners though.



Goal getter: Mexico will look towards Oribe Peralta to fire them towards Brazil 2014

Starring on the global stage: Shane Smeltz netted for New Zealand against Italy at the last World Cup

FIFA Ranking: Mexico - 24th; New Zealand - 79th



Coaches: It’s a sign of these sorry times for the Mexicans, that Miguel Herrera, when appointed for the play-offs last month, was the fourth man in the role in the space of two months! He is very much the 'nterim' man charged solely with delivering a place in the World Cup and his position is set to be reviewed on December 2. So not exactly the best preparation.

By contrast, New Zealand boss Ricki Herbert has become synonymous with 'stability' having been in the role since 2005. He famously took New Zealand through the 2010 World Cup unbeaten and will certainly fancy his chances of getting them there again.



Top scorers: Not Javier Hernandez as you might have expected but domestically-based Oribe Peralta who scored inside 30 seconds in the Olympic final against Brazil at London 2012. He has five in this competition so far.



Plenty of goals on offer for New Zealand against the Oceania minnows and Chris Wood has seven - five of those came in the OFC Nations Cup last year, a tournament considered part of the qualification process by FIFA even though it doesn’t have any bearing on who actually gets into this play-off.



Player to watch: Herrera has chosen to pick an exclusively domestic squad for these matches, meaning Hernandez - 35 goals in 57 appearances - has been overlooked. Therefore, top scorer Peralta will be paired up front with either Aldo de Nigris of Guadalajara (26 caps, nine goals) or Raul Jimenez of Club America (18 caps, three goals).

The prolific Shane Smeltz will carry the threat for New Zealand - the 32-year-old has a proven international record with 23 goals in 49 appearances.



JORDAN v URUGUAY

When are the matches? First leg in Amman today (3pm); second leg in Montevideo next Wednesday (8pm)



TV Coverage: First leg live on British Eurosport



How did we get to this stage? Jordan have enjoyed unprecedented progress in this qualification campaign. After thrashing Nepal in the first round, they finished runner-up to Iraq in the first group stage. Then remarkably, despite losing all of their away games, they came third in the second group stage on the strength of their home form and then beat Uzbekistan in an epic penalty shoot-out to set up this final shot at the World Cup. In contrast to the convoluted Asian route,



Uruguay are here because they finished fifth behind Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador in the round-robin South American group.



Have they been to the World Cup before? Jordan, whose nickname is the rather quint 'Brave Gentlemen', have never got this far.

Uruguay have a long and strong pedigree in the competition and have, of course, won it twice in the early years. They finished in fourth at the 2010 edition, having been edged out by the Netherlands in the semi-finals.



Frustration: Luis Suarez and Uruguay missed out on automatic qualification FIFA Ranking: Jordan - 70th; Uruguay - 6th

Coaches: Jordan are coached by the former Egypt international striker Hossam Hassan, who remains their all-time leading goalscorer with 68 in a whopping 176 appearances. He took over from Adnan Hamad just this year and has guided the team through the drawn-out Asian qualifying phase.

Oscar Tabarez, known as ‘The Teacher’, is the long-serving coach of Uruguay having been in the job seven years. He has enjoyed great success with the team during what is his second spell in charge - taking them to the brink of a World Cup final and also to Copa America glory in 2011.



Top scorers: Two Jordanian players have scored seven goals in this campaign - attacking midfielder Hassan Abdel-Fattah grabbed four in one game against Nepal back at the start and he also scored from the penalty spot against Australia in what turned out to be a vital home win.Striker Ahmad Hayel scored important goals in the home wins over Japan and Oman.

Surprise, surprise, Luis Suarez topped the entire South American goalscoring charts with 11. The highlight came when he scored all four in the 4-0 win over Chile in Montevideo back in November 2011.



Player to watch: There is a real gulf on paper between these two sides and if Jordan are to cause a surprise, they will need to establish a first leg lead. It’s unlikely a side that contains Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan can be kept quiet for 180 minutes.