World Cup Odds Shorten for African Teams

June 9 - In just two days time, the whistle will blow for the opening of this year's World Cup tournament in South Africa.

No more words can be added to describe the excitement and hype currently running through the veins of the country, the teams and the millions who will turn up to watch the games this tournament.

For the six African teams who qualified for the World Cup, the trophy has never seemed more within reach.

The fact that they are playing on home turf could mean the difference between bowing out in the first round of the tournament, or advancing through it.

Local crowds will undoubtedly lend vocal support to teams such as the Ivory Coast, and of course their beloved Bafana Bafana.

The African team with the shortest odds to win the competition is the Ivory Coast (25/1 at certain bookie sites).

This team easily qualified over other African teams to reach this far in the tournament, and is managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson who once managed the English and Mexican sides.

Unfortunately for the Ivory Coast, however, they have been placed in the same group with Portugal, Brazil and North Korea, and even their star striker, Didier Dogba may not be able to get them out of that bind.

Despite being the host nation, South Africa has odds of only 80/1 (Ladbrokes) that it will win the trophy this year. Even longer odds are being offered at other sites such as Paddy Power, William Hill and Sky Bet (ranging from 125/1 to 150/1).

It will remain to be seen whether this year's tournament will see a break from tradition, where no team from Africa has ever made it further than the second round (1990 and 2002), or whether playing on home ground could give them the boost they need to play - and win - for Africa.

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