Ones to watch - Eyong Enoh (Cameroon)

Eyong Tarkang Enoh is the latest midfield beast of the Eredivisie. A quick, tough-tackling ankle-biter with a great engine, he moved to the Amsterdam Arena after two years as captain of feeder club Ajax Cape Town and after being denied a permit to sign for Portsmouth.

In his last season playing his club football on his home continent he captained the Parow-based side to a credible second place finish, being voted Player of the Year by his peers. Two summers ago he made the switch to Holland, then managed by legend of the volley but fairly muggy bonehead manager Marco van Basten.

This season he has played a key role for Ajax alongside Demy de Zeeuw as they stuck nine past most sides but fell just short of catching Steve McClaren's FC Twente. He's now signed a contract extension but is rumoured to be interesting other clubs, and has openly stated his plans are to leave Amsterdam at some point for the Premier League.

Comparisons have been made with a former Godenzonen graduate, Nigel de Jong, now of English superpower Manchester City. Like de Jong, Enoh is a master the mistimed challenge, and amongst the most booked players in his league. He's also about as likely to bag a goal.

During this tournament Enoh should line up alongside Alex Song, with the Arsenal man taking on any creative duties and Marseille's £12m powerhouse Stephen Mbia moving back into either a central or right-sided defensive slot, as he often does for his club. Against better sides, the group game versus the Netherlands, for instance, the experienced Jean Makoun could join them.

Under the tutelage of Paul Le Guen, whose appointment led to a drastic upturn in fortunes during qualifying, the Indomitable Lions could have a chance of a quarter final place given that their group isn't the strongest and an ageing Italian side would quite probably await in the second round. To manage that their experienced Europe-based stars will have to perform. Enoh could be the next of a long line, and one who could potentially outshine his more high-profile colleagues.

by Eric Bamford