South Africa tactics
Team - 4-4-1-3-2
Khune; Gaxa, Masilela, Morris, Mokoena; Dikgacoi; Tshabalala, Pienaar, Modise; Mphela Parker.
South Africa habit of rapid passing and quick movement off the ball and a level of fitness that will wear down opponents.
South Africa will use the midfield generals of Steven Pienaar and Teko Modise to probe and try break through the centre but wing play will be as important with Siphiwe Tshabalala tricky on the left and Siboniso Gaxa likely to play right back and storm down that flank.
South Africa are expected to play just a single defensive midfielder with Kagisho Dikgacoi likely to get the nod ahead of MacBeth Sibaya. He is quicker and more adventurous.
Captain Aaron Mokoena is key in the centre of defence while Tsepo Masilela is strong on the left
Algeria's
Team - 4-4-2
Gaouaoui; Yahia, Halliche, Bougherra, Belhadj; Mansouri, Yebda, Meghni, Ziani; Matmour, Ghezzal.
Algeria tactics are built around the game winning potential of Karim Ziani,. The diminutive winger spends his time on the right, looking to run at opposing defences.
Meghni is a new find and a good counter on the left side of attack but faces a battle to get fit in time for the World Cup. With plodding strikers in Ghezzal and Matmour, there is too much of a reliance on the players across the middle.
Hassen Yebda will look to provide some playmaking qualities. Algeria therefore will be well prepared to take advantage of set pieces and look to get their sizeable back four forward on as many occasions as possible.
A dangerous weapon too is Nader Belhadj, continually overlapping on the left hand side.
Nigeria tactics
Nigeria fast pace football and quality defensive midfielder has been a revelation under new coach Lagerback . Odemwingie and Uche have single handly carried teams to the world cup but other players have stated pulling their weight. Obasi can be expected to make some impact down the right hand side and upfront Martins and Yakubu have both pace and power.
Holding role
Yobo is the mainstay of the defence with Taiwo a deadly weapon on the overlap and also at set pieces.
Right-back is still a position to be settled. Uche Kalu and Haruna are the possible impact players, while Kanu is reserved these days for cameo roles late in the game too, where he still has the footwork to create limited havoc.
Team - 4-1-3-2
Enyeama; Apam, Yobo, Nwaneri, Taiwo; Etuhu; Obasi, Haruna, Odemwingie; Martins Yakubu.
Cameroon tactics
Team - 4-4-2
Kameni; Mbia, Assou Ekotto, Nkoulou, Bassong; Song, Eyong, Emana, Mandjeck; Webo, Eto'o. (st)
Eto'o, who was named team captain – replacing Rigobert Song – by coach Le Guen last August, has had a myriad of players alongside him for more than a decade now but has never had one to even come close to profiting properly from his speed and guile.
At the Nations Cup in Angola, the tall form of Idrissou probably looked the best foil for the Inter striker.
Creativity
Alex Song will run the midfield – he has a withdrawn role at Arsenal shielding the back line, but Cameroon will look to him for creativity – but Mbia is being moved to right-back.
In defence, coach Le Guen has dropped Rigobert Song and Geremi and will probably use the Tottenham pair of Assou-Ekotto and Bassong in their stead. The 20-year-old Nkoulou is the other centre-back and one with a bright career ahead of him.
Cameroon are likely to line up in a traditional 4-4-2, although against the Dutch they may be tempted to play with Eto'o as lone striker and put more muscle into the midfield, perhaps in the form of Makoun.
Gaouaoui; Yahia, Halliche, Bougherra, Belhadj; Mansouri, Yebda, Meghni, Ziani; Matmour, Ghezzal.
Ghana tactics
Team - 4-1-3-2
Kingson; Inkoom, Mensah, Vorsah, Sarpei; Annan; Asamoah, Prince Boateng, Muntari' Gyan, Amoah.
Ghana's use of a midfield pivot at the African Nations Cup finals in Angola earlier this year proved hugely effective, with Kwadwo Asamoah a veritable general.
The powerful Essien is not taking part but in his place is the equally powerful midfield general Kevin-Prince Boateng will seek to drive things forward, while Muntari's ability to weave in from the flank provides other exciting options.
Packing the midfield
However, Ghana often inhibit their own ability to move freely by packing their midfield. Sarpei uses the left flank to good effect and Inkoom can push on the right. If they do so, Annan will become the anchor and Asamoah the playmaker.
Up front, Gyan's pace means that he can sit high up on the opposing defence and then break free to capitalise on the service provided.
Ivory Coast/ Cote d'Ivoire
Team - 4-4-2
Barry; Eboue, Toure, Bamba, Tiene; Zokora; Toure; Tiote; Gervinho; Kalou;
The most gifted African team in the world cup , surplus of quality strikers will likely see the Ivorians go in with at least three up front against North Korea but be a lot more circumspect against Brazil and Portugal. Drogba leads the line and will have Kalou and Bakary Kone as possible partners with Abdelkader Keita used as second half impact player.
Winning possession in midfield is one of their strong points with Zokora and Toure among the world's best defensive midfielders. Lacking is a better supply to the strikers with the Ivorians missing a genuine playmaker.
The left side of defence is also a weak point with several options tried in recent years but no real solution found. Eriksson's influence will likely not to be as marked as it was with England given the short amount of time he has to prepare the team.
The new coach's priority, after the foibles of the Nations Cup, will be to install better discipline in the defence where Bamba and Toure made calamitous mistakes.
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