WHO is going to win this year’s World Cup? I’m afraid the tag of favourities will have to be re-defined, if recent results are anything to go by.

In the run in to the tournament, Spain, Germany, England, Italy, Brazil and Argentina were touted as the favourities to win this year’s World Cup but after just eight days, only Argentina and to a less extent Brazil have managed to live up to the hype.

Over the years, there have been shock results in the tournament, but this year’s results have been so baffling, and the most perplexing one is when a Spanish team that can afford the luxury of leaving Arsenal Skipper Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool hitman Fernando Torres on their bench got tamed by a hard working Switzerland team.

Then the Germans who convincingly routed Australia 4-0 in their opening match and had many people singing praise of how they had been underestimated, were also sent down to earth by a 1-0 loss to Serbia.

Although the French team is largely not considered favourities, and is no strange to first round knock outs, the talent in the Les Bleus side is good enough to reach the quarter-finals.

But the French and South Africa now look likely to be sent packing from the tournament.

This year’s World Cup looks like it will spring up a surprise winner like the 2004 European Cup when Greece surprised the football world by beating France and hosts Portugal to win the trophy.

Ends