Two-time World Cup winners Argentina find themselves in Group C, one of the candidates for ‘Group of Death’ status following the draw for next year’s finals. The Albiceleste share Group C with the Cote D’Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and the Netherlands; and, despite the well-recognised quality of their team and comfortable progress into the finals, they will not be relishing the prospect of facing any of their opponents.

The Netherlands were the ‘jokers in the pack’ of the second tier of European qualifying teams. Unseeded, they are nonetheless ranked by FIFA as the third best team in the world, and cruised through qualification undefeated. Their coach, Marco van Basten, provided the most positive response to the draw stating, "I don't think this is the 'group of death'. It will be a group with good opponents, who all want to play football.”

Both Cote D’Ivoire and Serbia and Montenegro will be making their first appearances at the World Cup Finals. However, both teams boast world class talent in the likes of Anderlecht’s Aruna Dindane, Arsenal’s Kolo Toure, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and St Etienne’s Didier Zakora for the Elephants; and Atletico Madrid’s Mateja Kezman, Inter Milan’s Dejan Stankovic and Osasuna goal machine Savo Milosevic for the Serbian 'Plavi'.

Cote D’Ivoire’s coach, Henri Michel expressed caution following the group draw. “I think this is the toughest one. It’s extremely difficult but it will do us good as we will see some great football,” he said. Ilija Petkovic, the boss of Serbia and Montenegro, was a little more sanguine about his team’s position, “Some people say this is the hardest, but easy groups do not exist at the World Cup. We will have to work hard to get results. Argentina don’t have any bad players, they are 100 percent good.”

However, even with these expressions of caution from their opponents, the response from the Argentine contingent was less than optimistic. Barcelona’s rising young star Lionel Messi was probably representing the opinions of his team-mates when he said, “It’s the most difficult group. I would have preferred other sides if I had had a choice.”

Group C Fixtures

10 June - Argentina v Cote D’Ivoire - Hamburg
11 June - Serbia & Montenegro v Netherlands - Leipzig
16 June - Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro - Gelsenkirchen
16 June - Netherlands v Cote D’Ivoire - Stuttgart
21 June - Netherlands v Argentina - Frankfurt
21 June - Cote D’Ivoire v Serbia & Montenegro - Munich

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