Mexico made sure of their 14th appearance at the finals with a game to spare after a comprehensive 4-1 victory over El Salvador – despite a swarm of bees in the goalmouth halting play for 10 minutes. Javier Aguirre’s side won six of their nine games to seize the initiative in the group after stuttering under previous coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Team captain Rafael Marquez has praised coach Aguirre for bringing back the team’s belief following Eriksson’s disappointing reign. The no-nonsense Aguirre has certainly improved the side and they are likely to prove tricky opponents in South Africa, especially in matches at altitude. Barcelona defender Marquez is their star man, but Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Andrés Guardado and Arsenal striker Carlos Vela are both talented performers, while West Ham striker Guillermo Franco is becoming something of a cult hero at Upton Park.
Manager: Javier Aguirre
Key player: Rafael Marquez
Best: Quarter-final (1970, 1986)
World ranking: 17