World Cup Group F: Martin Keown's guide to Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria

By Martin Keown

Published: 17:30 EDT, 6 June 2014 | Updated: 17:32 EDT, 6 June 2014

Much-fancied Argentina face Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria the early stages this of the World Cup.

Here, Sportsmail columnist and former England defender Martin Keown takes a look at Group F.

Routine: Argentina line up before brushing Trinidad and Tobago aside in a friendly ahead of the World Cup

ARGENTINA   

World ranking: 5

Manager: Alejandro Sabella. As a player was nicknamed ‘slowcoach’ but there is nothing slow about his team.

Captain: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

One to watch: Lionel Messi (Barcelona). The 1970 World Cup was Pele’s tournament, Maradona owned 1986. This could finally be Lionel Messi’s year. He is Maradona’s heir but has done nothing in his previous two tournaments. Now Argentina have to find a way to make it work for him.

Time to deliver: Argentina superstar Lionel Messi hasn't delivered on the biggest stage of all... yet

Good at: Going forward, unsurprisingly. Argentina have so much attacking talent but must harness it properly. Messi looks much more comfortable with Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain alongside him.

Bad at: Finding the right balance. They can be irresistible going forward but leave themselves vulnerable at the back, where they lack truly world-class defenders.

Heading for England? Marcos Rojo at Sporting Lisbon was an option for Liverpool, Chelsea like Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel di Maria is coveted by Arsenal, City and Chelsea. Benfica midfielder Enzo Perez has been offered to United.

World Cup best: Winners (1978, 1986)

How they got there: Topped the South American qualifying, two points clear of Colombia and only lost two of their 16 games.

Did you know: Coach Sabella is something of a closet Yorkshireman. Between 1978 and 1981 he spent two seasons with Sheffield United and a year at Leeds.

Odds: 4/1

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA   

World ranking: 21

Manager: Safet Susic. A fine player himself, Susic scored a hat-trick for Yugoslavia against Argentina in 1979.

Captain: Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen)

One to watch: Miralem Pjanic (Roma). Edin Dzeko scores the goals but Pjanic makes them. The 24-year-old provides a creative spark from midfield and is excellent from set-pieces, too.

Goal machine: Edin Dzeko, the Manchester City striker, is the main threat for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Good at: Scoring goals. They smashed in 30 during the qualifying campaign thanks to an effective 4-4-2 system with an attacking diamond.

Bad at: Spreading the play. With their system they can become quite narrow, which is much easier for sides to defend against.

Heading for England? Vedad Ibisevic of Stuttgart is Dzeko’s strike partner and has drawn interest from Aston Villa and Stoke in the past. Pjanic will impress but Roma won’t sell.

World Cup best: 2014 is their debut

How they got there: Finished level on points with Greece in their group but got through thanks to a vastly superior goal difference.

Did you know: In 2004 manager Susic was voted as his country’s ‘Golden Player’ – the best player of the past 50 years – and in 2012 was named the best ever foreign player in France’s Ligue 1.

Odds: 150/1

IRAN       

World ranking: 43

Manager: Carlos Queiroz. Iran are the fourth country Queiroz has managed – after Portugal, UAE and South Africa.

Captain: Javad Nekounam (Al-Kuwait)

One to watch: Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton) Known to his team-mates as ‘Gucci’, the striker has a sweet left foot and scored some important goals for Algeria. He was their top scorer in qualifying.

The boss: Experienced Carlos Queiroz is the man in charge of Iran's World Cup campaign

Good at: Closing down. Queiroz is disciplined and likes his team to sit deep, but when the opposition attack, Iran hassle in their own half until they win the ball back.

Bad at: Adapting to top opposition. They tend to do well in the Asian qualifying section but struggle to step up to World Cup quality.

Heading for England? One to watch is midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh of NEC who has been linked with Manchester United. Fulham’s Ashkan Dejagah may earn a move back to the Premier League.

World Cup best: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006)

How they got there: Unbeaten in the first group stage of Asian qualifying before topping Group A ahead of South Korea.

Did you know: At 14 letters, Ghoochannejhad has the longest surname in English football.

Odds: 2,500/1

NIGERIA   

World ranking: 44

Manager: Stephen Keshi. Retired a day after winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations but reversed his decision 24 hours later.

Captain: Vincent Enyeama (Lille)

One to watch: Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea). Has been out on loan in Holland and at Middlesbrough but has the potential to become a beast of a defender. He’s got a good spring and any battles against Messi will be interesting.

Good luck with that: Kenneth Omeruo will be trying to keep Messi under control when Nigeria play Argentina

Good at: Being bold. Keshi let his team go for it in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and they were champions. The full backs in particular love to bomb forward.

Bad at: Coping with the pressure. Keshi’s team has potential, but only four of them have played in a World Cup before.

Heading for England? Emmanuel Emenike was a former target for Tottenham and pushed to Liverpool and Everton. His club Fenerbahce value the pacy forward at an optimistic £15million.

World Cup best: Last 16 (1994, 1998)

How they got there: Went unbeaten in the group stages and then beat Ethiopia 4-1 on aggregate in the play-offs.

Did you know: Coach Keshi is one of only two people, along with Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach.

Odds: 250/1