Group E looks like an interesting one from the first look. Holland will be the favourites to progress, but Cameroon and Denmark appear evenly matched, and Japan are always a tenacious competitor. So basically, I'm sitting on the fence!

CAMEROON

We start by looking at the African competitors in this group. They qualified comfortably enough, after surprisingly missing out in 2006 for the first time since 1986. But that was against African teams, this is against the world's best - a different kettle of fish. It is clear where the strengths and weaknesses of this Cameroon lie - going forward, and principally superstar striker Samuel Eto'o. That is not to say the rest of the squad is without quality - starting with the keeper. Carlos Kameni. The highly-rated Espanyol stopper is expected to move on to bigger things, and a good showing in South Africa could really help that cause. The situation in defence, on the other hand, looks rather less rosy. Geremi will be reliable, if unspectacular at right-back. He is experienced, but his best days are undeniably behind him. In the centre of defence, the inexperienced Nikolas N'Koulou, of Monaco, will probably be flanked by two naturalised Frenchmen on his left. Assuming they can integrate into the squad, the additions of Sebastian Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekoto into the team, fresh from Tottenham's successful season, can only enhance the Atlas Lions' chances. But the inclusion of Rigobert Song, never the most reliable in his younger days and a veritable veteran of Cameroon's 1994 World Cup campaign, shows the lack of strength in defence. The midfield four appears to be strong on paper. Alexandre Song should be the chosen defensive midfielder on the back of a successful season at Arsenal. He is the younger cousin of Rigobert. He will probably be partnered by the slightly more attack-minded, and dynamic, Jean Makoun of Lyon. The idea, in principle, is that this will free up room for a combination of the likes of Landry N'Guemo (Celtic), Achille Emana and Eyong Enoh (Ajax) to strut their stuff and supply the strikers. Which is where Cameroon's star really lies. Samuel Eto'o is a contender for the greatest Cameroonian footballer of all time. Only the legends Roger Milla and Jacques Songo'o appear real threats. Fast, powerful, and with an extraordinary goalscoring record wherever he has gone, it is imperative he puts a somewhat disappointing season on a personal level behind him to bring his best form to the table. He will be partnered by one of Mohammadou Idrissou or Achille Webo. Both enjoyed unremarkable seasons for mid-table club sides last term. Cameroon's strength lies in goal and in Samuel Eto'o therefore. But the support players have to deviate from their often used plan to always look for Eto'o - at the highest level, and against the best teams, it is easy to spot and there doesn't appear to be a Plan B.

STAR PLAYER - SAMUEL ETO'O

The stand out player of an average team. I personally was surprised when he swapped clubs with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the Swede considered vastly more expensive. He still possesses searing pace - just ask the Chelsea defence - and is a devestating goalscorer, with no position seemingly out of range. However, the 'but' is that something seemed amiss with him last season. Despite Inter Milan's phenomenal success, Eto'o will be personally disappointed with a goals return of 16 in 47 games, his second worse since the 2001/02 season (the worst being 2006/07, when he was hampered by injury for much of the season. He was often, somewhat surprisingly, in the shadow of another new signing (Diego Milito) for much of the season, and struggled with Jose Mourinho's squad rotation at times. But he was still picked for the biggest games, and Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen will be hopeful he will rediscover his very best form this summer.

MANAGER - PAUL LE GUEN

The Cameroon manager devides opinion wherever he goes. It depends who you are talking to - revered in Lyon, where he led the French giants to three straight titles, loathed in Glasgow and Paris, where he was unable to achieve the same team spirit and barely held the dressing room together at Rangers and PSG. Not much more loved in Cameroon, where he led the Lions to a disappointing quarter-final exit in the African Cup of Nations in January, he appears weary with football. His team's performances in South Africa will dictate whether he sinks or swims.


DENMARK

Seemingly always a solid competitor, with that remarkable Euro 92 win standing out, it is a surprise to see this is only Denmark's fourth World Cup appearance, not a patch on theie neighbours to the north, Sweden. But they have had the last laugh for now, comfortably topping a qualifying group that contained Portugal and the Swedes, so they should not be taken lightly. The coach, Danish legend Morten Olsen, will be praying Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen recovers from the injury which forced him to miss the end of the season. A reliable and solid presence, with 78 caps and 12 years experience in English football behind him, he was one of the main reasons for the Danes qualification, as they kept seven clean sheets in qualifying. Another reason is the young centre-defensive partnership of Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer, of Liverpool and Palermo respectively. Agger is an expect at carrying the ball out of defence, and can be a useful left-back option if needed, while Kjaer is pacy and experienced beyond his 21 years. With Per Koldrup as a back-up, fresh from help Fiorentina qualify for the Champions League again, the Danes appear well-stocked in the centre of defence. The flanks look less secure. At right-back, the likely candidate (Blackburn Rovers' Lars Jacobsen) has looked suspect against pace in his debut Premier League season, and has by no means been a regular in Sam Allardyce's overperforing side. On the left, it will be the inexperienced Patrick Mtiliga of Malaga, or AZ Alkmaar's equally inexperienced Simon Poulsen. When you consider who is likely to be in front of them in South Africa, it is obvioius Denmark's strengths lie in the spine of the team. They may have a combined 262 international caps between them - but Martin Jorgensen, Dennis Rohmedahl and Jesper Gronkjaer are not flying wingers anymore. They are all well into their 30s, and are visibly slowing down. The centre of midfield is strong though. Christian Poulsen is one of the best in the world in the 'Javier Mascherano' position. Adept at breaking up the play, he is also a solid passer and can carry the ball forward from defence if needed. Ahead of him, this leaves Daniel Jensen, of Werder Bremen, to perform the more attacking role. A creator rather than a scorer, he will be the key supply line to the Danish forwards. And those two positions are nailed down. Nicklas Bendtner could do with a good World Cup, to prove he is in fact the best player in the world, as he seems to think he is. His last season for Arsenal, however, suggested otherwise. He will be partnered by Soren Larsen, who there are injury doubts over. If he doesn't reach the required match fitness, there could be a place for another ageing Danish legend - John Dahl Tommason, with a not too shabby international record of 51 goals in 107 caps, and the hero of World Cup 2002 and Euro 2004. But he hasn't added to that tally since June 2008, and he is another one who's best days are behind him. The ace in the pack, though, could be 18-year-old playmaker Christian Eriksen, and many observers believe the Ajax youngster could be the successor to the great Michael Laudrup the Danes have been craving for so long. In this group, Denmark will back their chances to qualify for the last 16. This team may not have the quality of the one at the start of this decade, or the star players of the late 80s and throughout the 90s, but it is greater than the sum of its parts, and the veteran Morten Olsen has fostered a tremendous team spirit which will stand them in good stead.

STAR PLAYER - NICKLAS BENDTNER

It is time for the talk to stop. The Arsenal striker now has to prove himself on the pitch. For so long he has been the self-proclaimed best striker in the world, but the statistics do not back that up. His ability is undoubted - witness his hat-trick in the Champions League against Porto. But his temperament is. He is inconsistent and goes missing in the biggest games. He is not even the best striker at Arsenal when Robin van Persie is fit. Good in the air and with an impressive turn of pace, if he turns in the type of performance he has in him on a more regular basis, he will come closer to fulfilling his prophecy. In a somewhat ageing forward line, his youthful exuberence will be crucial to any Danish hopes of success of equalling their best World Cup performance, the quarter-finals in 1998.

MANAGER - MORTEN OLSEN

The glue which holds this Danish team together. The longest serving manager at this World Cup, which marks his ten year anniversary in charge, he has rebuilt this team gradually following failures to qualify for the World Cup in Germany and Euro 2008, having reached the knock-out stages in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He loves to attack, this influence carried over from his playing days, where he was a key player in the tremendous Denmark team of the mid to late-80s, including the likes of Jan Molby, Jesper Olsen, Soren Lerby and Preben Elkjaer. This was an incredibly attacking team, and might explain his reluctance to shore this current team of the ageing Rommedahl, Jorgensen and Gronkjaer, with no ready made replacements. But his attitude to football should be applauded, and Denmark in good hands and look well placed to qualify.


HOLLAND

Once again the talented Dutch will be highly fancied, and they will hope they don't cement their tag as perennial underachievers. No team qualified for South Africa in more impressive circumstances. Norway, Scotland, Macedonia and Iceland may not be the toughest opponents, but you can't grumble at eight wins out of eight. Losing finalists in 1974 and 1978 is as good as it has got on the world stage, and the trend continued in Euro 2008. The Dutch thrashed world cup finalists Italy and France 3-0 and 4-1 respectively, before capitulating against Russia in the quarter-finals, managed by former coach Guus Hiddink. They will be a great deal of continuity under coach Bert van Marwijk, and this is an experienced squad. Lack of strength in depth may be the biggest issue for van Marwijk, behind a strong starting line-up. Between the sticks, Ajax keeper Maarten Stekelenburg will be a solid replacement for the superb Edwin van der Sar, who retired from international football in 2008, if maybe not in the same class. In defence, there is a mix of youth and experience. Gregory van der Wiel has emerged as the likely right-back following a fine season at Ajax. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the captain, is still secure despite being 35 and a converted left-back. But this is mainly due to a lack of competition. There are more options in the centre of defence. Joris Mathijsen is a certainty, with his experience and his ability to use his left foot providing the defence with good balance. He will be partnered by either Ron Vlaar or Johnny Heitinga. Neither of them has had the best season, so Everton's Heitinga might get the nod due to his superior international experience and his pace. The other back-up will be the ferocious Khalid Boulahrouz. But discipline will likely be a problem for the Stuttgart man. The defence, therefore, is solid without being great. But it is a truly different story in midfield and attack. The defensive midfield of Manchester City's Nigel de Jong, and Champions League finalist Mark van Bommel of Bayern Munich. They both do exactly what they say on the tin - they break up the play expertly, providing a platform for the more talented players to perform on. De Jong id slightly more adventurous, but van Bommel does possess a mean long-range shot on his day. Van Bommel is one of the only changes to the squad from Euro 2008. He fell out with van Marwijk's predecessor Marco van Basten, and the former Feyenoord coach wasted no time in recalling him. It probably helps that van Bommel is his son-in-law. From there, there will probably be an attacking midfield trio. On the right, the converted Dirk Kuyt is the incumbent. A player with a greater work ethic you will not find, and he can be a good crosser on his day. He may lack pace and skill but the Liverpool man has a habit of socring important goals and often plays better for Holland than his club. In the middle and on the left, are possibly the two best players in Europe this season. Wesley Sneijder has been simply imperious since moving to Inter Milan in the summer. He has been their star turn in an outstanding team, his pace, movement and eye for a pass have made him irreplaceable, as shown in the Champions League final. If he helps bring the World Cup to Holland he will move from very good into truly world class. Outside him, Arjen Robben has been equally impressive since his summer move to Bayern Munich. He finally seems to have put his injury problems behind him, and he carried his team to the brink of the treble. As fast, tricky and skillful as ever, he has also become a regular goalscorer, and often spectacular - just ask Fiorentina and Bayern Munich. And when you have Rafael van der Vaart as their likely back-up, a quality player in his own right, this is Holland's strongest area of their team. PSV's Ibrahim Afellay will be another option out wide, and he's obviously quick and skillful. Orlando Engelaar, one of the surprising stars of Euro 2008, will be the likely back-up to van Bommel and de Jong. At the point of the attack, will be Robin van Persie. An outstanding talent, the one question mark over him will be his fitness, having missed much of last season through injury. Who knows what Arsenal would have achieved last season had he been available for the whole season. Able to play in a variety of positions, he is a superb finsihing, both in and out of the box, and he will relish the service he will receive from Sneijder and Robben. If he doesn't perform, Klaas Jan Huntelaar is the likely replacement, despite having had a frustratin couple of seasons at Real Madrid and AC Milan. The natural replacement for Ruud van Nistlerooy. Otherwise, Ryan Babel is frustratingly inconsistent at Liverpool despite having the natural talent at his disposal, and Eljero Elia, the young Hamburg forward, could be the wildcard. There is no question of the talent in this Dutch team. It is the temperament which might let them down. But there is a togetherness and collective spirit which has seldom been seen before, and this will make van Marwijk a contented man.

STAR PLAYER - WESLEY SNEIJDER

In a team with many candidates, at the hub of Holland's creative activities, much will depend on Sneijder if Holland are going to fulfill their potential. He has shown it was a huge mistake for Real Madrid to get rid of him so quickly, and his form for Inter last season carried them to the treble. To be the outstanding player in a team with so much talent shows what a season he has had. He should feature high on the assists chart, thanks to his excellent range of passing and vision, and also contributes useful goals. This seems to be his time.

MANAGER - BERT VAN MARWIJK

More understated than predecessors such as Marco van Basten, Louis van Gaal and Guus Hiddink among others, he has gone about his work with the minimum of fuss and has fostered a winning spirit. Successful in Holland in two spells at Feyenoord, he has continued Holland's attacking philosophy and this has made him popular with the fans. As have the results!


JAPAN

The 2002 co-hosts definitely look the weakest team in this group, with very little evidence of star quality. There is not the class there was in 2002, with individuals like Shinji Ono, Hidetoshi Nakata and Junichi Inamaoto. The 2006 World Cup, under Zico, was an unmitigated disaster. There experience between the sticks, with Seigo Narazaki and Yoshi Kawaguchi. But only the latter has played outside Japan, with no success, so they will not fill their defence with confidence. Of the likely back four, Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tanaka and Yuichi Komano play in Japan, while only right-back Atsuro Uchida plays in Europe, with German club Schalke. He is especially adept at getting forward and helping the attack. There is more experience when it comes to the midfield and strikers. Shunshuke Nakamura will be key, if he still has the legs to be a threat. He has moved back to Japan following a dismal spell at Espanyol, but if he recaptures his Celtic form, he will be crucial. His set-piece delivery, both crossing and shooting, will be one of Japan's key weapons. On the other wing, is likely to be Daisuke Matsui, of Grenoble in France, and he was an impressive presence in his new club's successful battle to beat the drop. In the middle will be Yasuhito Endo, who will be the defensive shield in midfield. His experience will be crucial. His more attack minded partner will be Makoto Hasebe. A regular figure in his two years at Wolfsburg, he became only the second Japenese player ever to win the Bundesliga in 2009, and his supply has been crucial for the prolific strike partnership of Edin Dzeko and Grafite. In attack, you will find the most gifted player in this team - and with a fantastic name - Keisuke Honda. He was signed by CSKA Moscow in January for £8, which already looks like a steal. A quick and skillful player, he has a brilliant shot from range, as Sevilla found out when he helped surprise them in the Champions League soon after his arrival in Russia. Of the rest of the strikers, only Takayuki Morimoto of Catania in Serie A, plays abroad. But Shinji Okazaki is the likely other starter,due mainly to his superb international goalscoring record of 16 in 26 caps. The main problem for the Japanese will be strength, power and fitness - they're undoubted technical ability will probably not be enough to carry them far this summer. Japan have never won a World Cup match outside Japan, and they will do well to change that in South Africa.

STAR PLAYER - KEISUKE HONDA

The stand-out star of this Japanese generation, he has a bit of the Hidetoshi Nakata in him, but with slightly more substance. Able to play a variety of positions, including left-back, midfield, and as a support striker (which will be his probable position in South Africa), he is dynamic and adds a new dimension to Japan. The Champions League experience he accrued in the second-half of the season will be invaluable, and his form will be key to any hopes Japan have.

MANAGER - TAKESHI OKADA

Not universally popular in his homeland, mainly due to his reliance on homegrown players over overseas talent, from a league which can hardly be called challenging and competitive. He has reached his mandate so far, by qualifying, but he is accused of having his favourites and this has not gone down well with the press. Not as experienced as predecessors such as Zico and Philipe Troussier, and this could count against him.


VERDICT

This group looks fairly easy to predict in some respects. Holland, as one of the overall tournament favourites, should win the group. Denmark will fancy their chances of following them into the second round, but Cameroon, should they provide support for Samuel Eto'o with adequate support, might push them close. Japan, on the other hand, look woefullt short of top class talent needed to succeed on the biggest stage of all.