World Cup Record: Semi-Finals, 1962
Manager: Marcelo Bielsa
Key Player: Humberto Suazo
Qualified: 2th, South America
Odds: 40/1

With Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, the Chileans produced a fine qualifying campaign which saw them finish second in the group and secure their place in South Africa with a game to spare. Having missed out on the last two World Cups, qualification was met with a mixture of joy and relief back home with coach Bielsa hailed as the architect of a fearless attacking young side. With 32 goals, only group winners Brazil scored more. Chilean football will forever be identified with legendary strike duo Ivan Zamorano & Marcelo Salas, and it’s been the struggle to compete without this pair that’s left Chile in the wilderness for so long – finally, they seem to have found a group of players capable of building on the ‘Za-Sa’ legacy. In particular, playmaker Mati Fernandez may ultimately have been a disappointment in La Liga with Villarreal, but his importance to the national side is beyond doubt. Able to beat men on his own and with an eye for the killer ball, he’ll punish any side that gives him too much space. Encouragingly for their prospects next summer, half of Chile’s ten wins in qualifying came away from home. And with the emphasis firmly based on attack, they’ll be hoping that fortune favours the brave at South Africa 2010.

Humberto Suazo

Age: 28
Position: Striker
Club: Monterey (Mexico)
Caps: 41 (17 goals)

‘Matigol’ might be the best known of Chile’s current crop, but it’s likely a few more will know about of Humberto Suazo by the time the summer’s out. Ten goals in qualifying made him South America’s leading scorer, beating Luis Fabiano into second. Short, powerfully built and a lethal finisher, he’s also had a history of disciplinary problems – all the more reason to keep an eye out for him in South Africa.