World Cup Record: Quarter-Final 1934, 1938, 1954

Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld
Key Player: Alexander Frei
Qualified: 1st Group 2 Asia
Odds: 150/1

South Africa 2010 will be Switzerland’s ninth appearance at the tournament with three quarter-finals their best performance to date. A sluggish start to this campaign included a hugely embarrassing defeat at home to Luxembourg, but German coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, turned things around and the Swiss topped a group which included the likes of Greece, Latvia and Israel. In 2006 Switerland created two unwanted records on their way to a last 16 exit: they became the only team to be eliminated from the tournament without conceding a goal and the only team to fail to score a single goal during a penalty shoot-out (against Ukraine).

Alexander Frei

Age: 30
Position: Centre Forward
Club: Basel (Switzerland – Swiss Super League)
Caps: 71 (40 goals)

Switzerland’s all-time record goal scorer with a record of 40 goals in 71 games, Frei is the captain and focal point of the team. Now back at his home town club in Basel, he had spells in France with Rennes and latterly with German club Borussia Dortmund. Frei created a stir in 2004 after cameras caught him spitting at Steven Gerrard during the Euro 2004 tournament. He later showed his contrition by adopting a llama at Basel zoo.