Group E contenders
Netherlands 
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon

Route to the finals
The Netherlands were the first European nation to qualify for South Africa 2010 after an absolutely flawless qualifying campaign.

Winning all eight of their games in Group 9, the Oranjes finished 14 points ahead of their nearest rivals Norway.

Scoring 17 goals and conceding just two, they also produced the most miserly defence in the European zone.

Manager
Bert van Marwijk took over the Oranjes after their disappointing Euro 2008 campaign. While he may not have the high profile of previous managers such as Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Guus Hiddink, he is letting the performances of his team do the talking.

He brought domestic and European success to Feyenoord during two stints with the Dutch side in the early part of the new millennium and his reputation has increased accordingly in recent seasons.

Player watch
Just as in years gone by, the Netherlands’ attacking prowess is liable to be their biggest threat. The quartet of Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Wesley Sneijder (Inter), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan) are all in their mid-twenties and have enjoyed superb domestic form in recent seasons, and their contribution could be vital if the Oranjes are to progress in this year’s tournament.

Competition History
First appearance: 1934
No. of appearances (inc 2010): 9
Best result: Runners-up (1974 & 1978)
Matches against England: 18

Squad

Goalkeepers
1	Maarten Stekelenburg	Ajax, NED
16	Michel Vorm	FC Utrecht, NED
22	Sander Boschker	FC Twente, NED
Defenders
2	Gregory van der Wiel	Ajax, NED
3	Johnny Heitinga	Everton, ENG
4	Joris Mathijsen	Hamburger SV, GER
5	Giovanni van Bronckhorst	Feyenoord, NED
12	Khalid Boulahrouz	VfB Stuttgart, GER
13	André Ooijer	PSV, NED
15	Edson Braafheid	Celtic, SCO
Midfielders
6	Mark van Bommel	Bayern München, GER
8	Nigel de Jong	Manchester City, ENG
10	Wesley Sneijder	Internazionale, ITA
14	Demy de Zeeuw	Ajax, NED
18	Stijn Schaars	AZ, NED
20	Ibrahim Afellay	PSV, NED
23	Rafael van der Vaart	Real Madrid, ESP
Forwards
7	Dirk Kuyt	Liverpool, ENG
9	Robin van Persie	Arsenal, ENG
11	Arjen Robben	Bayern München, GER
17	Eljero Elia	Hamburger SV, GER
19	Ryan Babel	Liverpool, ENG
21	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar	AC Milan, ITA