Emmanuel Mathias: Togo defender

Emmanuel Mathias is a rising star in the Togo team and should make his mark in the World Cup. Born in Nigeria in 1986 and starting his professional career with the BCC Hawks, Mathias moved to Togo in 2004 and joined club team Etoile Filante.

A steady hand at the back, Mathias was asked to take a penalty kick in a friendly against powerhouse, Burkina Faso. He later went on to help the Hawks (that’s Togo) beat a succession of teams to a place in Germany.

European club managers are salivating over all the new talent they can check out. Obviously Man U, Chelsea and Real can cherry pick anyone they want, but even the lower teams might be able to scoop a player from a first round team, who will benefit them.