We complete our look at verdicts for Group D, wait for it, before moving on to Group E. Paddy Power Index and SportTrades Group D Predictions to follow. So here are the reports on Ghana and Serbia.The following verdicts are taking in full from our friends at Telegraph Sport. The verdict was compiled by John Ley and Jason Butt.
Ghana
World Cup record: 2006 2nd rd.
How Ghana qualified for World Cup 2010: African Group D winners
The Coach: Milovan Rajevac (Serbian, 55). Appointed: August 2008. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: None.
Rajevac is a Serbian who played for Borac Cacak, Red Star Belgrade, FK Vojvodina and Sloboda Tuzla.
The Country: The Black Stars were the only African side to advance to Round 2 of the World Cup in 2006, the sixth consecutive occasion an Africa nation had progressed beyond the group stages of a finals tournament. And, for the stats geeks, Ghana were the youngest team in the 2006 finals - with an average age of 23 yrs and 352 days.
Ghana beat Sudan 2-0 in Accra to become the first African side to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa from the qualifiers. Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari - once of Portsmouth - and Chelsea's Michael Essien scored the goals in each half to give Ghana an unassailable lead at the top of qualifying Group D.
Essien said: "The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa."
And Anthony Annan hit a late equaliser as Ghana completed their successful qualifying campaign with a 2-2 home draw against Mali.
Verdict: With players such as Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari performing for some of Europe’s top clubs, then Ghana, who threatened to do well in Germany in 2006, could be a major force in South Africa. As long as they remain disciplined - tales of Essien and co going AWOL don’t help - can be dangerous outsiders.
Obviously since this verdict was written Essien has been ruled out of the World Cup through injury.
Serbia
World Cup record: None.
How Serbia qualified for World Cup 2010: European Group 7 winners.
The Coach: Radomir Antic (Serbian, 60). Appointed: August 2008. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: None.
The former Luton player is held in high regard in England. Witness the reception he received in London as a guest at the League Managers Association’s 1,000 club dinner in November.
The Country: Serbia’s national team was previously Yugoslavia, from 15 January 1992 until 4 February 2003, and then as the Serbia and Montenegro national football team until 3 June 2006 when Serbia declared independence as the successor state to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. It was officially renamed the Serbia national football team on 28 June 2006, while the Montenegro national football team was created to represent the new state of Montenegro.
But that has in no way diluted their capabilities, as seen in qualifying when they finished ahead of France. Serbia beat Romania 5-0 in Belgrade to earn automatic qualification for the 2010 World Cup as unassailable leaders of European qualifying Group Seven.
Antic saw enough to go to South Africa with confidence: "I'm extremely happy, as we sealed a World Cup spot in style,” he said. “If we continue like this in South Africa, we will be a power to reckon with at the World Cup."
One man to watch out for is Milan Jovanovic, the 28-year-old Standard Liege winger. He has nine international goals and has a reputation for being a free-kick specialist. And, of course, there is a Manchester United representative, in Nemanja Vidic, whose fitness will be key to Serbian success.
Verdict: Are developing into a dangerous vibrant force. Rout of Romania shows they will definitely be a country to avoid. Have a great attacking threat while Vidic marshalls the defence. Could be a surprise package and don’t lack motivation to succeed.
Paddy Power Index
Germany 14/1 Serbia 66/1 Ghana 100/1 Australia 125/1
SportTrades Group D Predictions.
1 Germany
2 Australia
3 Serbia
4 Ghana
Tomorrow Group E.
I think the three "S" East European countries could cause a stir in the tournament, and out of Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia, I think Serbia could be the dark horses to look out for
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