POLAND (POL)

Success gives a feeling of heritage

It's easy to forget that Poland were once one of the best national sides in the world, beating Brazil to take third place in the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ Germany, finishing ahead of defending champions West Germany in 1978 and again finishing third in 1982 after defeating France.

In Korea and Japan, the Polish national team will play in a FIFA World Cup finals for the first time since 1986 and aside from a silver medal in the 1992 Olympics, the intervening years have not been kind to Polish football. Since the glory years of the 1970's and early '80's, Poland has been on the outside of European football, failing to get past the group stage of the European Championships and never really threatening to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals.

All that changed when Nigerian-born Emmanuel Olisadebe took Polish citizenship and began netting the kind of goals not seen since Poland's last trip to the FIFA World Cup, when they lost to Brazil 4-0 in the second round in 1986. Olisadebe has been the difference in the current qualifying campaign, scoring seven goals as Poland lost only once while winning Group 5 and a spot in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.

With the Polish supporters making it clear that Olisadebe is one of their own, he now has the chance to return his adopted country to the glory days of Grzegorz Lato, the leading scorer in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. For Poland, it is a welcome reminder of a rich footballing heritage.

Significant past players:

Grzegorz Lato, Kazimierz Deyna, Wlodzimierz Lubanski, Jan Tomaszewski

Achievements:

-- 3rd 1974 FIFA World Cup West Germany

-- 3rd 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain

-- Champion Olympic Games 1972

-- 2nd Olympic Games 1976

-- 2nd Olympic Games 1992

Source: FIFA