Slovakia need only a draw against second-placed Slovenia at home on Saturday to book their place at next year's finals as surprise European qualifying Group Three winners.
Since the 1993 breakup of Czechoslovakia, the Czechs have achieved the more footballing success, qualifying for the 2006 World Cup as well as the Euro 96 final and Euro 2004 semis.
By shocking their experienced neighbours 2-1 in Prague in April Slovakia stepped out of their arch rivals' shadow and started to believe they could make it to South Africa.
"That was the game when we really thought 'right, we can do it'. I think that was the turning point," midfielder Vladimir Weiss, son of the Slovakia coach of the same name, told Reuters.
"I think we got a lot of confidence. Not everyone can win against Czech Republic at their ground, we made it."
Saturday's scenario of the 45th-ranked team in the world battling for group supremacy against the 54th-ranked Slovenians was unimaginable when the qualifying campaign started.
"Neither of us was the favourites, that was Poland and Czech Republic," coach Weiss told Pravda newspaper.
"In a year that situation has changed."
"He is very strict as a manager and that's what helped," the younger Weiss said.
"He brought something into the team that I don't think any other manager brought before. He has players' respect, they try to concentrate."
"A lot of players in the team are playing abroad, in the French league, in the German league, so I think there has been a big improvement in Slovakian players. I think we're a strong team, I think our mentality is better," he said. "I think if a player is playing abroad when they play for Slovakia they enjoy it a little bit more."
