Two giants of thier respected continents, Japan of Asia and Ivory Coast of Africa will open up Group D.
Ivory Coast will try and rectify their Worlc Cup form, as in 2006 and 2010 they went out at the group age. Impressively though, they are competing at their third World Cup in a row.
Japan impressed at the last tournamet as they got through the group stage but crashed out at the in the round of 16 to Paraguay on penalties.
This could be the last tournamnet for the golden generation of football in the Ivory Coast, which includes the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, Chelsea legend Didier Droga and ex-Spurs midfilder, Didier Zokora. They will definitely will be big shoes to fill but they do have the likes of Swansea City hit-man, Wilifred Bony, Gervinho, Saloman Kalou and Didier Ya Konan amongst others.
The opposition Japan will offer their African counterparts a very good game. The Samurai Blue have some quality in their squad, Shingi Kagawa (Manchester United), Keisuke Honda (AC Milan), Shinji Okazaki (Mainz 05) and Hiroshi Kiyotake (Nürnberg).
Possible Line-ups
Japan: Kawashima, Uchida, Yoshida, Nagatomo, Endo, Okazaki, Kakitani, Yamaguchi, Honda, Kagawa
Ivory Coast: Barry, Viera, Boka, Bamba, Aurier, Tiote, Toure, Drogba, Kalou, Gervihno, Bony