The South Americans were the first team to book their place in the quarter-finals, where they will face the last African survivors, Ghana, in Johannesburg on Friday, with a 2-1 win over South Korea.

Only two of the 23-man party in South Africa currently play their football in Uruguay - Defensor Sporting keeper Martin Silva and Penarol midfielder Egidio Arevalo - with the bulk of the rest on the books of European clubs.

Tabarez is convinced that the experience they have had of working in countries such as Italy, Spain, Turkey and Holland has helped them to develop as individuals, and that has served to strengthen the national team.

He said: "This particular squad is made up of players who are fairly young.

"Most of them joined the national squad when they were still playing in Uruguay at around 22 years of age.

"Four years later, almost all of them are playing at important clubs overseas, and they are capitalising on that experience of playing high-level football abroad."