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Martin Skrtel and Ryan Nelsen - Source: Reuters -
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After months of preparation, the day the 2010 All Whites take to football's biggest stage is finally upon us.
Drawn in group F with Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia, Ricki Herbert's men have a tough road ahead.
First up for the All Whites is Slovakia, who they take on in Rustenburg tonight (11:30pm NZT).
With the might of Italy and the pace of Paraguay lying in wait, both New Zealand and Slovakia will see this clash as a crucial chance to grab points - especially since Italy and Paraguay drew their opening match, giving whoever wins this game a chance to top the group.
Below we outline some key facts and figures about the All Whites' first opponents at the 2010 World Cup.
SLOVAKIA
Who: Slovakia (formerly part of Czechoslovakia until 1993).
Population: 5.5 million
FIFA ranking: 34
Nickname: The Fighting Jondas.
Playing strip: Home: Blue and white. Away: White and blue.
Coach: Vladimir Weiss is the son and father of Slovakia internationals. He was part of Czechoslovakia's Italia 90 squad and is the father of Man City's Vladimir Weiss Jr.
Preferred formation: 4-4-2.
Biggest win: Slovakia have enjoyed three 7-0 wins, one over Liechtenstein in 2004 and two over San Marino, once in 2007 and again in 2009.
Biggest loss: 6-0 loss to Argentina in 1995.
World Cup appearances: 2010 will be the first appearance for Slovakia as an independent nation - they are also the only team to be making their World Cup debut in South Africa.
Road to South Africa: Slovakia had a fairly stress free passage to the World Cup, after winning seven out of ten qualification matches (they drew one, and lost two).
The impressive campaign saw Weiss' side clinch the top spot in UEFA Group 3 ahead of Slovenia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Poland and San Marino, who they beat 1-0 to qualify for the World Cup.
Slovakia have also done well in their pre-World Cup friendly clashes, beating Costa Rica 3-0, drawing 1-1 with Cameroon and losing 1-0 to Norway.
Players to watch:
Slovakia may be a small nation yet to make an major impression on the international football stage but they do have a few players who play for various European clubs.
Key players to watch out for during the World Cup are:
Jan Mucha (Goalkeeper): A highly rated goalkeeper with Legia Warszawa (Poland), Mucha has been courted by Arsenal and Everton, where he will play in the EPL 2010/11 season after he was signed by David Moyes in January.
Martin Skrtel (Defender): A towering and tattooed hard-nut who currently plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League. He is currently recovering from an ankle injury and has passed himself fit to play - definitely a defender you wouldn't want to come across in a dark alley!
Marek Hamsik (Midfielder): A versatile and dangerous attacking midfielder, Hamsik has been perfecting his craft with Serie A side Napoli since 2007. He has also made his mark for Slovakia since making his international debut also in the same year, scoring eight goals in 30 appearances for the national side.
Stanislav Sestak (Striker): Six goals in six games saw Sestak become the top scorer for Slovakia, helping them comfortably qualify for their first World Cup - sure to be a handful for the New Zealand defence tonight.
The All Whites vs Slovakia will be live on ONE from 11.00pm. tvnz.co.nz's Sarah Williams will also be live scoring the match.
Missed a game? Watch selected full matches and daily highlights free on TVNZ Ondemand.
