So far, Nigeria have been running true to their (worst) form. Passport muddles, pay disputes, internal feuds, sulking stars, a late change of coach and the promise of sustained political interference all make for a traditional World Cup preparation for Africa's historically strongest team, one that can call on a 100 million-plus population.
No one has ever doubted the all too obvious potential of the Nigerians. Irish fans - and, apparently, Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy - were well impressed by the Nigerians' 2-1 win in Dublin last week. That victory only serves to underline the point.
Namely, will the Nigerians ever realise their huge potential in a World Cup tournament? Given that the Nigerians did get their (off the field) act together long enough to win the 1996 Olympic tournament, it is certainly not impossible that they will (one day) become the first African side to win a World Cup.
Looking at their preparations for these finals, however, and bearing in mind that Nigeria have drawn the Argentina-England-Sweden first round group, one is at least entitled to conclude that it may not be this time.
For one thing, there is the role likely to be played by newly appointed Sports Minister Stephen Akiga. Last week, he promised that he would "personally supervise" the team at their training base during the finals, saying: "There will no longer be laxity, so the players should expect a hard time in camp.
"As a former footballer myself, I'll be on the pitch training with them. I'll sleep in the same hotel with them and we'll eat the same food. It will ensure that everything is in order."
Will it, indeed? And what role does the minister's "personal supervision" leave to coach Festus Adegboyega Onigbinde, the man appointed as a replacement for Amodu Shaibu, in the wake of Nigerian disappointment at the February African Nations Cup finals?
Onigbinde, coach to the Nigerians 18 years ago when they finished runner-up to the other traditional African powerhouse, Cameroon, in the 1984 Nations Cup, probably knows the score.
Lest he have any doubts about the Nigerian Federation's faith in him, that matter should have been clarified both by the arrival of the Minister-cum-supervisor and the fact that until a few weeks ago the Federation was still trying to persuade Bayer Leverkusen coach Klaus Toppmoller to take over the team.
Onigbinde's squad, announced last weekend, prompted further Nigerian controversy. Three high-profile players, Finidi George of Ispwich, Sunday Oliseh of Borussia Dortmund and Victor Agali of Schalke were all predictably ommitted with two of them, Agali and Oliseh, left out because of public differences with the Nigerian Federation during this year's African Nations Cup finals.
Agali had given an indication of the harmony that does not always reign within the Nigerian camp when blaming his team-mates for his disappointing Nations Cup campaign, saying: "They all ganged up against me and under those circumstances there was little I could have done." Even Nigeria's most representative and arguably most talented player, mercurial playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha, expressed his doubts over the weekend, suggesting that perhaps both Oliseh and Agali should have been included.
So then, Nigeria are certain to crash out in the first round? Not so fast . Any side that can bring together players such as Okocha, strikers Nwanko Kanu and Bartholomew Ogbeche and defenders Mutiu Adepoju and Celestine Babayaro has to be treated with plenty of respect. Paris St Germain striker Ogbeche, although only an 18-year-old, could yet turn out to be one of the few major surprises at the tournament.
Four years ago, Nigeria flattered only to deceive, opening the tournament with two utterly brilliant performances in 3-2 wins against Spain and Bulgaria respectively but then flopping out miserably in that surprise 4-1 second round defeat by Denmark.
That defeat, like Nigeria's failure to hold on for a merited second round win against Italy at USA'94, may have owed much to team camp problems, disciplinary or otherwise.
If Nigeria overcomes those sort of problems in South Korea and Japan, then we could be in for some splendid entertainment from them over the next month. Given recent developments, however, that is indeed a very big "if".
