Group F has one clear favourite, two teams who are about even and one team as an outsider. One of the interesting things about the group is that the teams represent various continents, just as it should be if all things were created equal.

Africa’s hopes rest on Nigeria for this round, but bookies have them as being in for a pretty tough challenge with Bosnia-Herzegovina as the favourites to advance ahead of them. Oh, and this group also features the small matter of Lionel Messi.

Who makes up the group and what are their chances of advancing?

Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nigeria and Iran make up Group F and some might be quite surprised by the odds. If you don’t follow soccer too closely, you might want to sit down before reading the odds (Argentina are a dead certain, don’t worry). According to Pinnacle, chances of advancement are as follows:

Argentina: 93%
Bosnia-Herzegovina: 51%
Nigeria: 43%
Iran: 13%

So, Nigeria are doomed?

Odds of advancement are somewhat like international rankings. They depend on many things and  are far too complex for the ordinary human to understand. Nigeria are, of course, the Champions of Africa. Things haven’t been so rosy in the land of Nigerian football lately, with pay disputes and disagreements with players all playing their part since their victory in AFCON last year.

Nigeria are fairly defensive, with counter-attacking being their preferred choice of…well, attack. The squad has a number of young players in it and while that’s a great thing, inexperience and ill-discipline can often become a problem. They are capable of pushing for a place in the knockouts, though. For that to happen, the senior players have a massive role to play.

Iran are beatable, Argentina are not and Bosnia will kick up the biggest challenge for Nigeria. The Super Eagles struggled the last time they visited Brazil – for the 2013 Confederations Cup. They won just one game out of three, beating Tahiti 6-1, but it was a slight struggle elsewhere, especially against Spain’s tika taka.

If rankings are the kind of thing that interest you, Nigeria are ranked 44^th while Bosnia are ranked 25^th.

Argentina all the way

Argentina is one of the favourite teams to win this year’s World Cup. Even if you hardly ever watch the sport, chances are you’ve heard of Lionel Messi. He’s great, despite there being questions over whether he is as good internationally as he is for his clubs (yes, really). After failing to score at the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Messi probably has some pressure on him to find the back of the net this time around. With the support of Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Gonzalo Higuain, it’s hard to see the Little Master not having an impact and even harder to see Argentina not making it out of the group.

Coach Alejandro Sabella has brought far more structure to the South American team and if they lose a game in the group rounds, it will be a massive upset. They still have not settled on a formation and during the qualifiers, used nine different ones. The 4-3-3 approach seems most likely, though, so expect plenty of goals.

Players to watch

Emmanuel Emenike (Nigeria): Emmanuel Emenike is a key part of the Nigerian team. During the qualifiers, he scored three goals for his team and he is a creative force going forward. Feeding off players like John Obi Mikel, Emenike will be one of Nigeria’s prized assets in the tournament.

Marcos Rojo (Argentina): With all the wealth of strike power and midfield aces, it would be far too easy to pick somebody as obvious as Messi or Aguero. Instead, here’s a left-field choice. In a team where the value of defence is often overlooked, Marcos Rojo will be a key player. He likes going forward as much as he likes to play an understated role at his left or centreback position, and the tournament offers the perfect opportunity for Rojo to show his skills and earn himself a nice big contract.

Edin Dzeko (Bosnia-Herzegovina): Fresh off a title-winning campaign at Manchester City, Dzeko will have the momentum to carry into the World Cup. He is the country’s leading goal scorer with 35 goals in 62 appearances. During the qualification rounds, he managed ten goals, the second-highest in the European qualifier – only Robin van Persie managed more (11).

Ashkan Dejagah (Iran): Those following the English Premier League will be familiar with Ashkan Dejagah. Born in Germany at youth levels, he opted to play for Iran in 2012. His career took flight in 131 when joining Wolfsburg, before he moved to Fulham. He was instrumental in leading Iran to World Cup qualification. With great vision, versatile in his attacking position and an eye for goal, Dejagah will be one of Iran’s great hopes. DM

Photo: Argentina’s soccer team coach, Alejandro Sabella (C), talks to his players during a training session of the national team at the Argentina’s Soccer Association (AFA) field in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 31 May 2014. EPA/JUAN IGNACIO RONCORONI