Through out this year’s domestic and Champions League season, players and fans alike will have one eye on next year’s World Cup finals in the beautiful and intriguing country of South Africa, writes Andy Tongue

The World Cup takes place in Africa for the first time in 2010 and will be much anticipated by English football fans, with Fabio Capello having seemingly revitalised the national side. Hopes will be high that, under the southern sun, the Three Lions can at last emulate Bobby Moore and the Boys of ’66, who remain the only English side to have reached the pinnacle of international football. Four years ago, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side were labelled as the Golden Generation, but in truth they were overpaid and under performing, with the embarrassingly poor showings on the pitch matched only by the antics of the WAGs and assorted hangers-on – a shameful sideshow that Eriksson appeared to actively encourage. Capello’s record in club football is second to none and he appears to have successfully transferred that expertise to the national game. His no-nonsense approach has reminded the players who is in charge and he has harnessed the talents of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to good effect, while bringing on young talent such as Theo Walcott and offering an olive branch to David Beckham. There are still areas of concern: as he gets older David James certainly gets no more reliable and neither Rob Green or Paul Robinson have proved to be truly top-class goalkeepers. It may still be that a great season between the sticks for Ben Foster could propel the Manchester United stopper into the No. 1 spot in time for the World Cup. And Capello can’t yet be 100% sure who should partner Rooney up front. Emile Heskey has never let his country down but struggles to score goals in domestic football, let alone on the international stage, while Jermain Defoe has started the season in red hot fashion and Michael Owen still harbours hopes that his switch to Old Traffor dwill lead to a recall and – like Beckham– a fourth appearance at the World Cup finals.

The usual suspects will provide the main challenges to Capello’s men – Brazil and Argentina from South America, and Italy, Germany, France and Spain from Europe. Holland might have something to say and perhaps one of the African nations will put up a serious challenge on their home continent, though the hosts South Africa are in a state of disarray, with the football-mad fans across the nation despairing of Bafana Bafana’s current form. January’s African Nations Cup should give an indication of which sides are best placed to lead the African challenge. If England are drawn to play their games up on the High Veld in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Rustenberg, it could threaten to derail the bandwagon. Both players and supporters would eagerly welcome fixtures on the Atlantic seaboard, however, which will be played at low altitude in attractive and cosmopolitan cities like Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. The Rainbow Nation will be a great host for the first time the World Cup has visited Africa and is sure to attract hordes of travelling fans from England. From the majestic beauty of Cape Town, through the winelands down the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth and the world-renowned Kruger National Park east of Johannesburg, there will be no shortage of sights to see for visitors. Sportsworld is the exclusive hospitality sales agent in the UK and the Republic of Ireland for the tournament... more