Premier League players you didn't realise would be at the World Cup: Portsmouth

Group C / Jaymes Monte / 19 April 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Nadir Belhadj went down in folklore on the south coast when notching the third in Pompey’s FA Cup win over Southampton.

There may be a fire sale pending at Fratton Park, but for some there is the small matter of a World Cup before any transfers will be completed....

"Belhadj's criticisms stem from the fact that he often abandons defensive duties to set off on those lung bursting runs up the left touch line, but to restrain him in that aspect would render him ineffective."

Nadir Belhadj - Algeria

Nadir Belhadj is one of the many French-born members of the Algeria squad. He began his career at French club Lens where he failed to make an appearance then moved on to Ligue 2 clubs FC Gueugnon then CS Sedan before getting a lucrative move to the then French champions Lyon. He then went back to Lens for another short stint before crossing the channel and taking up residence at Fratton Park.

Belhadj is a left-back by trade but can also play on the left wing and is most effective when given the licence of a modern-day attacking full-back. He possesses a powerful and accurate left foot which has seen him score six times for Pompey, perhaps the most memorable of which was a rasping long-range strike away to Sunderland. His criticisms stem from the fact that he often abandons defensive duties to set off on those lung bursting runs up the left touch line, but to restrain him in that aspect would render him ineffective.

He made his debut for Algeria in 2004 in a friendly against China and has been a regular in the side ever since, playing in both defence and on the wing. His attacking threat will be an important factor in Algeria's attempts to qualify from Group C, a feat that they are odds of [4.4] to achieve. They are also seen as the least likely African team to win the World Cup at odds of [630.0].

Aaron Mokoena - South Africa

As captain of the host nation and one of the most inexperienced and youthful sides at this summer's World Cup, Aaron Mokoena has his work cut out for him. However, the man they call 'Mboza' can draw on a well of experience gained from over 100 caps - more than any other player in South African history - won since becoming the youngest player ever to play for Bafana Bafana back in 1999.

He began his career playing for South African side Jomo Cosmos before making his desired move to Europe with Bayer Leverkusen. After failing to feature in their first team he then moved to Ajax where he made a handful of appearances before loan spells at KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen and a permanent move to Genk preceded his £600,000 transfer to Blackburn in 2005.

He made over 100 appearances for Blackburn, mainly in a defensive-midfield roll, prior to moving to Portsmouth at the beginning of this season. Mokoena plays with an uncompromising attitude that has seen him deployed in both an anchoring midfield roll as well as in the heart of the Pompey defence, never afraid to shy away from a challenge he is a captain who leads by example.

South Africa will need to call upon all of his experience if they are to make a similar impact as they did in last summer's Confederations Cup where they narrowly lost to both Brazil and Spain in the knockout stages. They can be backed at odds of [3.1] to qualify from Group A and at [160.0] to become the seventh nation to win the World Cup in their own backyard.