4. Tunisia

Twelve months ago, Tunisian football had hit its nadir. The African giants were beaten at home by ‘minnows’ Cape Verde, effectively eliminating the Carthage Eagles from World Cup qualification. When the North Africans eventually progressed via a technicality they were mercilessly pounded by Cameroon in Yaoundé. But a single coaching appointment has flipped their fortunes. Goerges Leekens was brought in and his tactical diversity has worked wonders, alternating between a 4-2-3-1 and a 5-4-1. Employing the latter formation, Tunisia neutralized an extremely dangerous Senegalese attack, but more importantly, showed that in big matches this Tunisian outfit can grind out results.