Spain won't get a better chance

SOCCER ANALYST:The European champions will be very difficult to stop this summer, but it's vital that Fernando Torres stays fit, writes BRIAN KERR

THIS LOOKS like Spain’s best chance to win the World Cup. The draw has been kind on first glance but then you see the last-16 fixture will probably be against the Ivory Coast or Portugal. Or even Brazil.

Not that it really matters if they continue the way they played in their near perfect qualifying campaign, or repeat the majesty of two years ago at the European Championships; they will be very difficult to stop.

Fernando Torres must stay fit of course. The age profile of the team is ideal as well. The style of football they produce is the best around at the moment with shades of Barcelona as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta run the show from midfield – meaning Cesc Fabregas tends not to make their best starting XI.

Granted, in qualification, they were in one of the easier groups with Greece, Latvia, Israel, Luxembourg and Moldova. They lost one game. They rarely give the ball away. Certainly not stupidly.

Chile don’t usually do a lot in World Cups. Honduras will not be able to touch them. Nor Switzerland. Spain can ease through the group quite handy allowing them to manage players for the serious games that are sure to follow.

The depth of their squad makes them deserving 4 to 1 favourites right now. They scored 28 goals to get here. Only England got more. Just glance through the quality in La Liga, at Liverpool and Arsenal. They have two outstanding goalkeepers as well which always proves vital. See Kahn for Germany in 2002 and Buffon for Italy four years ago.

Will Pele’s prophecy that an African team wins the World Cup within the next 20 years become a reality? That was about 12 years ago. The discipline brought back into their international sides by the increasing numbers plying their trade in Europe means it certainly has more validity in 2010.

I can’t see South Africa making any headway now they have ended up in that group. France are laughing today. Mexico will do reasonably well while Uruguay are not up to much but will not be troubled by the hosts.

South Africa lack stability what with former Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira stepping away and then returning to the position. They adopt a slightly Brazilian style.

The other potential group of death is Brazil, Portugal, Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast and the unknown North Korea. If the Ivory Coast maintain a disciplined approach, so long absent from African sides, they could well knock Portugal out. Drogba is ably supported by Didier Zokora, Salomon Kalou and Emmanuel Eboue. They got to the finals without much messing about.

The Ivory Coast have the players now but Ghana and Nigeria are the nations with the long-term structures in place. Ghana have the machine that is Michael Essien.

Nigeria in contrast scraped through. Cameroon have a decent record at the big tournaments but perhaps not this time.

Algeria did very well to get past Egypt in a difficult play-off in the Sudan but England should be well able to handle that challenge.

No, the best chance of an African breakthrough will come from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana – despite the disastrous draw of Germany, Australia and Serbia.

What also jumps off the page is how easy England’s group looks. Under the more disciplined Fabio Capello regime and despite the loss of form of Rio Ferdinand, coupled with the lack of a goal-scoring centre forward alongside Wayne Rooney, they should coast through.

Algeria scrapped past Egypt. Slovenia were impressive in the play-off against Russia but remain too porous in defence. David Beckham can cover the USA challenge. I expect England to win the group.

This is tempered by meeting the qualifier from Germany, Australia, Ghana and Serbia – which looks the toughest group.

Italy’s reward for winning our group looks like the softest World Cup group of all. Paraguay may be a threat but the Italians should be fine even with their traditionally slow-starting record.

Finally, Diego Maradona’s return to a World Cup brings a romance many thought they would never see again. His constant war with the Fifa will certainly keep matters interesting.