Boumnijel will become the oldest player to appear at a World Cup finals when he takes to the field on June 14 against Saudi Arabia.

At 40 years and 62 days, he'll beat the previous record set by Cameroon striker Roger Milla who was 40 years and 39 days when he appeared at the 1990 finals.

There are other golden oldies in Germany waiting for one last shot at the big time.

Trinidad and Tobago's Russell Latapy, at 37, will be the oldest outfield player with Mexico defender Claudio Suarez, Latapy's teammate Shaka Hislop and Iran's Ali Daei not far behind.

Boumnijel believes he has plenty to offer despite his years.

"There are words, looks, attitudes. I try to reassure the youngsters," said Boumnijel who despite his years still has only 48 caps.

"I talk a lot on the pitch. My experience helps me to feel things, to anticipate and talking a lot helps ease the pressure."

Latapy, who will be 38 in August, and currently plays with Falkirk in the Scottish Premier League, admits he has lost some speed but not his knowledge of the game.

"Of course, I'm no young pup," said Latapy whose club career has taken him to Academica Coimbra, FC Porto and Boavista in Portugal as well as Hibernian, Rangers and Dundee United in Scotland.

"It is a bit unrealistic in my lifetime to come back for a fourth and fifth World Cup qualification."

Latapy has hit 28 goals in his 66-match international career.

But that is nothing compared to Daei, who has 109 goals from his 145 appearances

"The World Cup is every footballer's dream," said Daei.

"In the past ten years I have played hard for the national team with the hopes of reaching the finals. We were thrilled to reach France in 1998 but our failure to make the finals in the USA in 1994 and South Korea and Japan in 2002 has left a bitter taste."

Former Harvard scholar Hislop will be at his first showpiece and is well known in England for his club career with the likes of Newcastle and West Ham.

He won the first of his 24 caps in 1999 and is involved in a tussle with Kelvin Jack for the starter's position.

"Kelvin has held it for a while now and done well, so it will be hard to displace him," said Hislop.

"But this is a chance for us to show what we have in the World Cup and I want to be a part of it."

At 36, Brazil skipper Cafu is a comparative youngster, but has a glittering World Cup record.

The defender could become the first man to win the title twice as a captain as well as the first to play in four consecutive World Cup finals, being a veteran of the 1994 win over Italy, the 1998 loss to France and the 2002 success over Germany.

He would also join Pele as the only individual to have won the title three times.

"We have the best Brazil team I've played in. But now we have to win to prove it," said the veteran of 138 internationals.