A strong start is key to coach Radomir Antic getting Serbia on the right track in its first major tournament as an independent nation. The deep Serbian team could easily be one of the Cup's dark horses.
Serbia’s chances of progressing to the last 16 in South Africa are likely to hinge on a fast start and a renewed belief in their strength in depth that has left them sadly lacking in previous major tournaments.
Local media gave Serbia only a slim chance of reaching the 2010 World Cup after their failure to qualify for Euro 2008 under Spaniard Javier Clemente was followed by a five-match winless streak under Miroslav Djukic.
He was sacked to make way for Radomir Antic and there was little in the early stages of his reign to suggest the former Real Madrid and Barcelona coach had the magic ingredients to restore Serbia’s fortunes.
An unimpressive 2-0 win over Faroe Islands in the opening match was followed by a 2-1 defeat in France, but six wins and a draw followed to secure Serbia’s passage with one match to spare.
Serbia qualified for their first major tournament as an independent nation under Antic but whether they can live up to growing expectations at home in the finals will largely depend on their ability to cope with a tough tournament schedule.
Qualifiers in Europe are played over a period of 14 months and the format allows all entrants enough time to prepare for each battle on the road to the finals, which is often essential to second-tier teams such as Serbia.
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