The team
History lesson
Finalists for the first time since 1982, when they were eliminated in the first round despite creditable draws with the hosts, Spain, and Northern Ireland. They were also involved in the "Football War" with El Salvador in 1969 after losing to them in a play-off for Mexico 1970.
Tactics board
Reinaldo Rueda tended to play 4-4-2 in qualifying with the veteran Carlos Pavón and Internazionale's David Suazo, who spent last season on loan with Genoa, up front. Switched to 4-5-1 in the away games and usually included an extra defensive midfielder alongside Wilson Palacios and Hendry Thomas.
Grudge match
The Swiss are the only non-Spanish speakers in the group but the tournament favourites Spain will be aware of the Hondurans and keen to right the wrong of 1982, when they dropped a point to them after a draw in the group which ultimately saw Spain beaten to first place by Billy Bingham's Northern Ireland.
Also known as
Los Catrachos, a corruption of the name given to the Honduran general Florencio Xatruch's troops by Nicaraguan soldiers after both had been fighting the US in the 1800s. The team bus is adorned with the slogan "One Country, One Passion, 5 Stars in the Heart" in reference to the national flag, which also gives rise to their other nickname, La Bicolor.
The players
Vuvuzela superstar
The charismatic Carlos Pavón finished as top scorer in the Concacaf group with seven goals and was somewhat improbably voted the most popular player in the world in an online poll conducted by Fifa. Made his international debut in 1993 and is comfortably their all-time top scorer.
There's always Bolton
Emilio Izaguirre is a pacy defender who has tried out for Ipswich and has since featured on the radar of Wigan, fast becoming a Hispanic finishing school.
Laager Lout
Torino's attacking midfielder Julio César de León fell out with Rueda over the standard of medical care available to treat an injury. Was sent back to Europe on the next plane but returned to the squad four months later and has kept his counsel ever since.
The coach
Body double
Reinaldo Rueda has the greying bristles and slighty superior air of a Hispanic David Dein.
Big game hunter
A Colombian academic who has never managed at club level, Rueda just missed getting his country to the 2006 finals and after he took over Honduras in 2007 quickly managed to put them on the right road. Has now been made a citizen of Honduras.
Loved or loathed
Absolutely adored. A national holiday was declared the day after they qualified and the open-top bus was rerouted past the national palace so the president could have his picture taken with the team.
The country
Commentators' kit
Maynor Figueroa is married to Sandra Norales, who plays handball for the Honduras national team and Sheffield when they are in England.
They gave the world
Baleada – a wheat flour tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese and sour cream. A local chef is going to SA to knock up such delights.
National monument
Last June's military coup coincided with the final straight in the qualifiers and the national team's games became a great cause in reuniting families. "The people were able to free their tension, embrace each other, as if finding each other again," Reinaldo Rueda said. "Hondurans recovered their nationalistic mystique, their self-esteem, motivation and their pride in their flag and their country."
Qualifying
Came through thanks to the USA managing a 94th-minute equaliser against Costa Rica to finish third in the Concacaf group, their own 4-0 win over Costa Rica in August and 3-1 win against Mexico being key.
The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say
"Tegucigalpa sounds like a fart in a bath and the people are obsessed with the size of their bananas. Not that there's anything wrong with that."
Statistics
World Cup record: 1 finals
P3 W0 D2 L1 F2 A3
Highest finish: First round in 1982
3: The Hondurans playing for Premier League clubs – Spurs' Wilson Palacios and Wigan's Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa
Fixtures
Chile, 13 June, Mbombela Stadium, 12.30pm
Spain, 21 June, Ellis Park, 7.30pm
Switzerland, 25 June, Free State Stadium, 7.30pm
The verdict
Reinaldo Rueda has greater means than expected. When Maynor Figueroa was suspended for the key match, away to El Salvador, the side brought in the less experienced Erick Norales and showed conviction. It is natural to look to men such as Wilson Palacios but the team's resolve was obvious when beating El Salvador 1-0.
Kevin McCarra