Nickname: Super Eagles
Manager: Shaibu Amodu
Previous World Cup appearances: Three
Best finish: Round of 16, 1990 and 1998
Key players:
Obafemi Martins
Nwankwo Kanu
Mikel John Obi
Yakubu Aiyegbeni
The Super Eagles were pushed all the way in qualifying by Tunisia but eventually won through by a single point in a group also containing Mozambique and Kenya.
The future of coach Shaibu Amodu has occasionally been called into question as his team have failed to fire - but any manager trying to follow in the footsteps of German Berti Vogts will have his work cut out.
Vogts left early in 2008 citing unacceptable treatment by the Nigerian football federation and the road has been somewhat rocky since then.
As the first home-grown coach to take charge of the team Amodu won't be short of supporters who hope he can achieve success in 2010 and beyond.
Pegged back to a 2-2 draw with Tunisia in Abuja in September 2009, the Super Eagles were in serious danger of losing out to the Tunisians but a final 3-2 success over Kenya saw them safely through.
Rashidi Yekini's famous net-grabbing celebration at the World Cup in 1994 was one of the more memorable images of that tournament: although Yekini is no longer on the scene, the irrepressible Nwankwo Kanu of Portsmouth will be 33 when the tournament rolls around.
In 2008 Kanu's goal settled the FA Cup final in Portsmouth's favour and ever since his days at Arsenal, the rangy, twinkled-toed striker has proved he has the ability to turn the biggest games.
Obafemi Martins, formerly of Inter Milan and Newcastle and now playing for Hertha Berlin, provides pace and dynamism in attack while the strength and finishing prowess of Yakubu Aiyegbeni provides another potent goal-scoring weapon.
The Super Eagles have been almost perennial bridesmaids to Cameroon in the African Cup of Nations, twice losing in finals to their fierce rivals. It would be a tantalising match-up should their paths cross in this tournament.
Much like Slovakia, a glance at the Nigeria squad list proves that professional football is truly a global endeavour.
England, Germany, Tunisia, Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Israel are all places of work for their squad members: perhaps reflective of the fact that Nigeria have occasionally struggled to get all their players to turn up for their matches.
The inspirational presence of Sundeh Oliseh, who steered them to that unforgettable 3-2 win against Spain at the 1998 World Cup, may now be missing but the Nigerians will perhaps benefit from playing on their home continent.
Having narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2006 renewal of the World Cup, the Super Eagles will be absolutely determined to take their chance this time around.
