Algeria and Slovenia go into their opening World Cup Group C encounter aiming for three vital points.
Victory vital for both nations
Algeria and Slovenia go into their opening World Cup Group C encounter at the newly built 45,000-seat Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday aiming for three vital points.
After reaching South Africa 2010 via continental play-offs, both sides are underdogs in a group which also contains England and the United States.
Slovenia had to overcome European heavyweights Russia to earn a spot in the World Cup for the second time and have recently beaten Qatar 4-1 and New Zealand 3-1 in international friendlies in the run-up to the tournament in South Africa.
Slovenia's only previous experience in football's marquee event was in 2002, when they lost all three matches against Spain, South Africa and Paraguay.
Head coach Matjaz Kek is expected to stick with his more favoured starting line-up. Striker Milivoje Novakovic has overcome an abdominal injury to score a brace in the recent match against New Zealand. The Cologne hitman has scored 16 goals in 28 matches for the national team.
However, Kek does have a slight worry over fellow forward Zlatan Ljubijankic, who is suffering from an ankle problem, but is expected to start.
The Slovenians will rely on the goalscoring threat of Bochum striker Zlatko Dedic and influence of captain and former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren.
Algeria call on spirit of '82
The Algerians won every match at home during qualifying but had to beat Egypt in a play-off to secure the last of the African spots at the first World Cup ever staged on their continent.
The North Africans will be making their first appearance at the showpiece event since 1986. They also appeared at the 1982 tournament defeating West Germany and Chile, but controversially still failed to progress.
Head coach Rabah Saadane has dropped captain Yazid Mansouri for the first time following some below par performances.
The team's most experienced player with 67 caps will be replaced in midfield by Medhi Lacen, while defender Anther Yahia will wear the captain's armband.
It will be the first ever World Cup match to be played on a surface partly consisting of artificial grass.
The Polokwane venue has millions of threads of synthetic grass fibres woven in between and beneath the natural grass.
