Serbia played their maiden international, independently, in 2006, winning 3-1 in an away game to Czech Republic.
Before that the country’s team formed part of two now disbanded teams: Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
The former participated at nine World Cups between 1930 and 2002. After that Serbia and Montenegro was formed but fell at the first hurdle at Germany 2006, losing all three matches in a competitive group.
The road to South Africa
When the draw for the first phase of the European Zone qualifying was made, the consensus was that Austria, Romania and Serbia were competing for second place behind France. However, Radomir Antic’s team quickly established a four-point lead atop of the section. They secured their berth in South Africa with a 5-0 drubbing of Romania in Belgrade.
Star players
Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic is a rock at the heart of the Serbian backline, known for his aerial presence and love for the strong tackle. Dejan Stankovic has played international football since 1998, while Marko Pantelic and Milan Jovanovic carry a threat in attack.
The coach
Antic had spells with Zaragoza, Real Madrid and Oviedo prior to leading Atletico Madrid to a double in his first season in charge. He had been out of the game for four years when he was appointed coach in 2008, but quickly proved his worth during their qualifying campaign.
Facts
- Serbia will be appearing at the Soccer World Cup independently for the first time in South Africa.
- They formed part of the Yugoslavia side that appeared at nine editions of the competition, and the Serbia and Montenegro team that competed at Germany 2006. — Fifa