Team: Serbia & Montenegro

Defence facing severe examination

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Coach: Ilija Petkovic
Captain: Mark Viduka
Winners: Never - World Cup debutantes
Pitted against: Holland, Argentina and Ivory Coast
Prospects: Unless Kezman can produce the goods, Serbia & Montenegro will be cast in the role of also-rans
Odds: 100-1

Qualification for Germany was not such a surprise for a talented side but the manner in which it was achieved made many sit up and take note of Serbia & Montenegro, writes Carl O'Malley

They were undefeated in a group containing Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Spain, and topped it convincingly with six wins and one goal conceded. Qualification also included seven consecutive clean sheets – an international record.

Serbia & Montenegro has only recently emerged from the ashes of the former Yugoslavia after the most bloody European ethnic conflict since the Second World War.

The post-war era has been one of sanctions and suffering but the team that until 2003 was known as Yugoslavia has at least given the nation something positive to cling to.

Ilija Petkovic’s side will now fear nobody in their group, and have the added incentive of getting the opportunity to reap revenge on Holland, who knocked them out of France ’98 courtesy of a 2-1 win.

Defensive heroics rightly caught the headlines on the march towards qualification but up front they pose a real threat too. Former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman has no problem finding the net for his country, while Aston Villa old boy Savo Milosevic is still knocking about and up to his old tricks.

He recently told Spain and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos: "I am going to break your neck . . . I am going to break your neck and you are not going to go to World Cup." Milosevic was always a character but remains a crowd favourite at Osasuna despite scoring just 10 this season.

The experienced Dejan Stankovic of Inter Milan also provides a real goal threat from midfield.

However, the late addition to the squad of Petkovic's son has soured the mood slightly in Belgrade. The decision was labelled a "disgrace" by one daily, while another described the nation as being "thunderstruck" with disbelief.

They do have a point. Dusan Petkovic is a 32-year-old journeyman, who is one of those annoying hybrid types, defender/anchorman. He has played 12 times for his country, scoring once, and did not feature in any qualifers. He replaced under-21 striker Mirko Vucinic.

So, no suggestion of anything untoward there then.

World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Dragoslav Jevric (Anakaraspor), Oliver Kovacevic (CSKA Sofia), Vladimir Stojkovic (Nantes)
Defenders: Goran Gavrancic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivica Dragutinovic (Sevilla), Mladen Krstajic (Schalke), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Milan Dudic (Red Star Belgrade), Nenad Djordjevic (Partizan Belgrade), Dusan Basta (Red Star Belgrade)
Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic, (Inter Milan), Igor Duljaj (Shakhtar Donetsk), Predrag Djordjevic (Olympiakos Piraeus), Ognjen Koroman (Portsmouth), Albert Nadj (Partizan Belgrade), Sasa Ilic (Galatasaray), Zvonimir Vukic (Partizan Belgrade), Ivan Ergic (Basel)
Forwards: Savo Milosevic (Osasuna), Mateja Kezman (Atletico Madrid), Nikola Zigic (Red Star Belgrade), Danijel Ljuboja (VFB Stuttgart), Mirko Vucinic (Lecce).