Teams: Togo

Togo to make up the numbers

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Coach: Stephen Keshi
Captain: Jean-Paul Abalo Dosseh
Winners: Never - first appearance in the finals
Pitted against: France, South Korea and Switzerland
Prospects: Rank outsiders. Fans hoping for an extended stay in the tournament are sadly misguided
Odds: 750-1

Another team taking their World Cup bow, but also another side with questions surrounding recent performances. Having hoodwinked Senegal, Mali and Zambia in their qualifying group, underdogs Togo easily secured qualification only to since sully their reputation with a disastrous African Cup of Nations campaign at the start of the year, writes Paul O'Hehir

The team has now enrolled the help of 'High Priest Heviosso', a voodoo doctor, to banish negativity and "protect those who are honest and sincere." A number of players, then, need to rediscover the eye-catching wanton abandon with which they played when stunning a continent to qualify for Germany, losing just one match in the process.

Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor carries the hopes and expectations on his shoulders and is by a long way Togo's outstanding player. He single handedly took qualification by the scruff of the neck, booting home 11 goals to finish the campaign as the top scorer in African qualifying. But, in attempting to squeeze every ounce out of him, other aspects of Togo's game are suffering .

This was best illustrated in Egypt earlier this year. Paired alongside Cameroon, Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo, Stephen Keshi's side flopped both spectacularly and embarrassingly when losing all three games to finish rooted to the floor of their group. Those collective performances subsequently brought down the curtain on Keshi's involvement and he was replaced by German Otto Pfister.

On a hiding to nothing this summer, the best Pfister can hope for from his Togolese side is that they upstage some of the world’s leading lights. Adebayor will lead that bid although he could quickly find himself shackled by defenders in tune with his game.

Similarly, fellow group opponents Switzerland are likely to have 21-year-old Junior Senaya's measure as he plies his trade in the Swiss league with FC Juventus. Nevertheless, the attack minded midfielder will surely have one eye on emulating his more celebrated team-mate and will set about etching his own mark on the big stage.

Togo were also responsible for sending out the youngest ever player for a World Cup qualifier when, in 2001, 13 year-old Souleymane Mamam squared up against Zambia. Now 18, Mamam is one of the nations brightest prospects and will look to bamboozle an opponent or two down the right flank.

Undoubtedly a tough ask but unlike some of the other debutantes, Togo are unlikely to have much up their sleeves and all opponents should have their match.

World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Kossi Agassa (FC Metz, France), Ouro-Nimini Tchangirou (Djoliba, Mali), Kodjovi Dodji Obilale (Etoile Filante, Togo)
Defenders: Jean Paul Yaovi Abalo (Apoel Nicosia, Cyprus), Eric Akoto (Admira Wacker, Austria), Richmond Forson (Jeanne d'Arc Poire, France), Karim Guede (Hamburg SV II, Germany), Ludovic Assemoassa (Ciudad Murcia, Spain), Toure Assimiou (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Dare Nibombe (Mons-Bergen, Belgium), Kuami Agboh (KSK Beveren, Belgium), Affo Cerlmont Erassa (AS Moulins, France)
Midfielders: Cherif Toure Mamam (Metz, France), Alaixys Romao (Louhans-Cuiseaux, France), Thomas Dossevi (Valenciennes, France), Yao Kaka Aziawonou (Young Boys, Suisse), Junior Senaya (YF Juventus, Switzerland), Adekanmi Olufade (Al Sailiya, Qatar)
Forwards: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, England), Mohamed Kader Coubadja (Guingamp, France), Robert Malm (Brest, France), Massamasso Tchangai (Benevento, Italy), Moustapha Salifou (Stade Brestois, France).