RIO DE JANEIRO, June 11 — The erratic French, efficient Swiss, flying Ecuadoreans and hard-tackling Honduras promise to turn Group E into one of the most unpredictable at the World Cup.

The raw talents of Paul Pogba, Jerry Bengtson, Xherdan Shaqiri and Jefferson Montero add to the intrigue to a group which may lack a high-profile encounter but will provide an intriguing battle between Europe and Latin America.

In theory, France, enjoying a revival under Didier Deschamps, are clear favourites to finish top while Honduras, who have never won a match at the World Cup, are given little hope of progressing.

That would leave the small, mountainous countries of Switzerland and Ecuador to battle for second place, making their meeting in Brasilia on Sunday (1600 GMT) possibly the most important of the group.

On paper, the team from the Alps, who by a quirk of the FIFA rankings are the group’s top seeds, would appear to be in better shape than their Andean opponents.

The Swiss sailed through their World Cup qualifying group without losing, were the only team to beat Brazil in 2013, have only lost once in the last two years and have climbed to sixth in the world rankings.

Most of their players have enjoyed successful seasons in the Bundesliga or Serie A and their impish winger Xherdan Shaqiri, 22, is one of the most exciting players to have emerged from the country.

Like several other members of the squad, Shaqiri was born in Kosovo and came to Switzerland as an infant when his parents moved during the Balkans conflict of the 1990s.

The “Secondos” have given added confidence and feisty edge not usually associated with Swiss teams.

On the other hand, Switzerland were somewhat flattered by an easy World Cup qualifying group where Slovenia, Norway, Iceland, Albania and Cyprus were their modest rivals.

Apart from Brazil, they have not faced world class opponents in the last two years and they often struggle to create chances against packed defences.

Fortunately for Switzerland, Ecuador do not fall into the latter category. They suffer from a dearth of top class central defenders and their already vulnerable rearguard has now lost the protection of Segundo Castillo after the experienced defensive midfielder was ruled out of the tournament with injury.

On the other hand, Antonio Valencia and the mercurial Montero offer the sort of threat down the flanks which Switzerland would not have faced during the World Cup qualifiers.

Montero’s speed and trickery on the left wing make him unplayable on his day although he is exasperatingly inconsistent as a quick glance at his chequered club career indicates.

Honduras are making their third World Cup appearance and their credentials are less than impressive.

They have failed to win a match in six attempts and did not even score a goal in South Africa four years ago, when they also met the Swiss and drew 0-0.

However, that was before Jerry Bengston arrived on the scene. The U.S.-based striker scored 11 goals in the qualifying competition despite walking out on the team halfway through the campaign. He was allowed back by coach Luis Fernando Suarez after publicly apologising.

Physically strong and tight at the back, Honduras could spring a surprise if they can add some firepower to their spoiling qualities.

They start their campaign against the French who are always vulnerable to upsets and in their last four World Cup campaigns have either reached the final or fallen at the first hurdle.

The script for the group would quickly have to be torn up if they fail to beat the Central Americans in their opening game which, given their past record, is certainly within the realms of possibility.

Although Franck Ribery’s absence is a huge blow, 21-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba, who combines a strong physical presence with deft footwork, outstanding technique and superb vision, could be one of the tournament revelations.

Like his team, however, Pogba is prone to ups and downs and he had a disappointing second half of the season with Juventus.

France are by no means guaranteed to beat the Swiss in their second game and they will certainly not want to be needing a win when they face Ecuador at the Maracana in their final game. — Reuters