The 2006 World Cup finalists are in Group A in the final round of qualifying for 2010, taking on Cameroon, Gabon and Morocco.

BBC: Ex-boss regains control in Togo

Trapattoni has vowed to lead the Republic to the 2010 World Cup finals and is confident they can finish top of a group which also includes his countrymen.

BBC: Trapattoni named Republic manager

England currently head the Group Six 2010 World Cup qualifying table and face Ukraine on 1 April in a bid to move closer to the finals in South Africa.

BBC: Shilton hails Beckham resilience

As it was, Spain's victory over Chile pushed the Swiss into third place in Group H, while Honduras joined Algeria in exiting the 2010 World Cup without scoring a goal.

BBC: Switzerland 0-0 Honduras

The good news: 2010 is a World Cup year, which has the industry poised for a modest rebound, according to NPD Group, which is forecasting a 1% lift in sales for this year.

FORBES: Sporting Goods Struggle