World Cup: Team H Group Credentials

Last but no means least…Group H information is provided below. The World Cup is in full swing but here you may pick up a few facts that you didn’t know before…
POLAND
Coach Adam Nawałka
A participator at the 1978 World Cup with Poland at the age of 19, he coached his national team to their first ever international victory over Germany in 2014, before reaching the quarter-final of UEFA Euro 2016. He then steered Poland to their first World Cup since 2006 after his side beat Montenegro 4-2.
Key Player Kamil Glik
The Monaco defender, who has also played for Torino, has over 50 caps for Poland. He scored in Russia 2018 qualification and was named in the 2016-17 UNFP Ligue 1 team of the year, the season in which he won the French league with Monaco.
Random Fact
Poland finished as top scorers of the 1974 World Cup despite not winning the tournament.
FIFA Ranking: 10
SENEGAL
Coach Aliou Cissé
Cissé was appointed in 2015 after Senegal were eliminated from that year’s Africa Cup of Nations. As a player, he captained the African nation to the quarter-finals in their only World Cup appearance to date in 2002.
Key Player Sadio Mané
With two CAF team of the year awards, the winger’s fine form for Southampton and Liverpool has saw him score 44 goals for both clubs combined, making him the highest scoring Senegalese in Premier League history.
Random Fact
Despite appearing 14 times in the Africa Cup of Nations, they have never won the continental tournament.
FIFA Ranking: 28
COLOMBIA
Coach José Pékerman
Colombia coach since 2012, Pékerman led the South American nation to the quarter-final in Brazil four years ago. In the 2006 World Cup, he guided his homeland Argentina to the same stage, having finished runner-up in the Confederations Cup in 2005.
Key Player Radamel Falcao
The Monaco striker is his country’s all-time top scorer, and is also the first player to win two consecutive Europa League titles with two different clubs (Porto and Atlético Madrid).
Random Fact
Colombia is one of only two teams to recover from a three goal deficit and come back to draw a World Cup game, when they fought back from 3-0 down to hold the Soviet Union to a 4-4 draw in 1962.
FIFA Ranking: 16
JAPAN
Coach Akira Nishino
Former Japan international Nishino took charge in April 2018 after previous manager Vahid Halilhodžić resigned due to Japan’s 4-1 loss to rivals South Korea. Although he managed his country’s under-20 and under-23 teams, the senior side has not played one game under his reign yet.
Key Player Shinji Okazaki
The Leicester forward has scored 50 goals for his country, one of which came against upcoming Group H rivals Colombia at the 2014 World Cup.
Random Fact
Japan is one of only three AFC teams to have reached the FIFA Confederations Cup final, the others being Saudi Arabia and Australia.
FIFA Ranking: 60
> Bradley Montgomery