All white on the night: the Honduras team gather before their World Cup 2010 qualifier against the United States

Honduras World Cup record: 1982 1st rd.

How Honduras qualified for World Cup 2010: CONCACAF 3rd place.

The Coach: Reinaldo Rueda (Colombian, 52). Appointed: January 2007. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: None.

Rueda's claim to fame came during his years as the Colombian Youth Coach. With the Colombian Under-20 team, he finished 3rd in the 2003 World Youth Championship. He also led the Colombian Under-17 team to a 4th place in 2003.

The Country: Historians will remember La guerra del fútbol, which was actually a four-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969, caused by political conflicts between the countries tha coincided with the inflamed rioting during the second North American qualifying round for the 1970 World Cup.

Fast forward to 2009 and on October 14, Honduras qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals, after a 1-0 win against El Salvador. Coach Reinaldo Rueda said: "Today it's the Honduras fans' and their team's turn to celebrate, thanks to the work of many years. Now we have months of work, months of matches and let's hope this victory works out for the good of all."

Telegraph verdict: A rapidly emerging nation with players such as Wilson Palacios who are performing in Europe. Only the second time they have qualified for the finals, the other being in 1982 - and it has all happened while Honduras has been in turmoil following a military coup in June. Some feat. They will do well to better it.