The view from Germany

Rudi V÷ller: "This is a middling group - neither weak nor a group of death like Argentina's. Cameroon are not to be underestimated, since they are by far and away the best team in Africa and are the one team from that continent with the potential to go far.

"Ireland are not an elite team and usually don't go very far in World Cup finals, but I haven't forgotten that they qualified at the Netherlands' expense. We have to look at their current form and from what they did in qualifying they have to be regarded as a very dangerous opponent.

"You must not underestimate them, they are not just Roy Keane alone, they are a good, fighting team, a dangerous side whose best players play in the English Premiership."

"Saudi Arabia is somewhat of an unknown quantity and represents the outsider of the group, so we are going to have to learn all about them in the coming months."

FRANZ BECKENBAUER: "I think the German delegation can be satisfied with the draw. Cameroon will be strong and there are no easy opponents, but I think it is a duty for a Germany team to survive such a group."

JURGEN KLINSMANN: "It couldn't be better. You can say we were lucky, because other groups, especially the one with England, are much, much tougher than ours. We should beat Saudi Arabia. Ireland will be tough but we can manage them. Cameroon, with a German coach, will be very exciting. It will be fun."

LOTHAR MATTHAEUS: "Germany are clear favourites in this group. Only Ireland can challenge us, as they proved clearly against Holland."

STEFAN REUTER: "The group is okay, but we must watch out: Ireland has an absolutely top team, as Holland learnt to their cost."

DAS BILD (German tabloid): "Cameroon is considered as one of the strongest Africa teams, but Kahn and Co should easily beat Ireland and Saudi Arabia."

EXPRESS (German newspaper): "What do you think when you hear the name Ireland? Sheep, whiskey and the cult rockers U2? That's all true! But also the country, with a population of 3.7 million, has something to offer in football. The German team has had painful experience of this already, several times. In 13 matches the Irish won five times, with two draws and six defeats.

"Star of the Irish: Robbie Keane (30) of the top English team, Manchester United. Weaknesses: Typical kick and rush. Chance of German victory: 90 per cent. V÷ller's team must beat the Irish easily."

The view from Cameroon

WINFRIED SCHAEFER (Cameroon's German coach): "Rudi and myself joked about the prospect of facing each other, but we wanted to avoid it. We have already agreed to play a friendly, but we will have to cancel it now. The group is tough, but we have to cope with it and I believe both sides can get through.

"You can't really compare the Cameroon team of 1990 with this one, it was different because all the players lived in Cameroon back then. Now we have just the opposite and all the players are playing in Europe and elsewhere and that's probably an advantage. But Ireland are very strong. To beat Holland is pretty significant, they'll be hard.

"We will have to produce some top performances to progress. With Ireland and Germany, this is a strong group. The Cameroon team has a lot of character. The players are very enthusiastic about their football, patriotic and, most importantly, they stick together as a team. It is a pleasure for me to train them."

PRINCE ESOKA NDOKI MUKETE (Cameroon Football Federation assistant secretary general): "Our group is very challenging . . . but I don't see any major hurdle. I am very sure we are going to qualify for the second round. It's a group that's there for the taking. There's no reason to be afraid. As far as I'm concerned, Cameroon has a 60 per cent chance of qualifying for the second round."

The view from Saudi Arabia

NASSER AL-JAWHAR (Saudi Arabian coach): "We are in a good group and we can produce good results. All the teams which qualified for the finals are strong, but we will try our best against them. In football nothing is impossible. If you play well, you can win. Germany is one of the biggest teams in the world and we respect them. We saw Ireland in the last two games against Iran and we have some information about them. We will try to put an end to the well-known 'Arabian hospitality'."

PRINCE SULTAN BIN FAHD (head of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation): "The important thing is that the Saudi team, Allah willing, appears at the finals in a way that would reaffirm its worthiness of representing the Gulf, Arab and Asian football in an honourable way."