France and Switzerland fancied to go through

FRANCE

Having scraped into the draw for Brazil by the skin of their teeth, France have the quality to go deep in this competition. There are doubts over whether Didier Deschamps really knows what his best team is and their defending can be shambolic occasionally, so expect captain Hugo Lloris to see a bit of action between the posts.

SWITZERLAND

It is hard to believe that in Ottmar Hitzfeld’s first competitive game as Switzerland boss the Nati suffered a humiliating loss to Luxembourg in qualifying for World Cup 2010. It’s been all uphill since then, as they recovered to finish first in that qualifying group and are now at a third successive finals. Hitzfeld is leading a far different side than 2006’s version — or even the side that shocked Spain in 2010, with the squad’s diverse origins lending it a fresh flair.

EQUADOR

Reinaldo Rueda’s side have had a rough year, struggling for form and mourning the tragic death of striker Chucho Benitez. Their greatest strength — much as with the Swiss — lies in midfield, with Manchester United’s Luis Antonio Valencia and Dynamo Moscow’s Christian Noboa adding quality and penetration.

HONDURAS

They will not be fancied but are used to holding their own in competitive fixtures, so they are no pushovers. There is creativity and industry in Wilson Palacios and Roger Espinoza, while Maynor Figueroa is well known as a doughty competitor. The reliable Carlo Costly and Jerry Bengtson will be required to chip in with some goals.

BEST GAME: France v

Switzerland These are two athletic teams that like to attack, but what would make it really interesting is if one failed to win its first game, making sure holding is not an option. — espnfc.com