2010 Draw procedure approved
2 December 2009
The procedure for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ Final Draw, taking place in Cape Town on Friday, has been given the go-ahead by world football's governing body.
The 32 teams that have qualified to participate in the World Cup have been divided into eight groups and put into four pots, from which the schedule will be drawn during the live event.
Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke said Pot One would consist of hosts South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England.
Seeded teams' groups
These teams will be automatically assigned position one in each group. The division is as follows: South Africa in Group A, Brazil in Group B, Spain in Group C, The Netherlands in Group D, Italy in Group E, Germany in Group F, Argentina in Group G, and England in Group H.
Pot Two will be composed of teams from Asia – including Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, and the Republic of Korea – and North, Central America and the Caribbean, including Honduras, Mexico, and the United States, along with Oceania's representative, New Zealand.
Pot Three will include teams from Africa – Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria – along with South America, namely Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Pot Four will have the remaining European teams: Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Determining positions
Positions within Groups A to H will be drawn for teams from Pots Two to Four and no teams from the same Confederation will be in the same group, excepting for Europe, which will have maximum of two teams in each group.
"Geographical criteria will also be respected, meaning that no two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group)," said Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke, addressing reporters following a meeting of the Fifa Organising Committee on Wednesday.
He explained that, for example, South Africa cannot be drawn against the African teams from Pot Three, and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams.
Groups will be drawn from A to H, and the positions in the group will be drawn for Pots Two to Four.
Ready to welcome the world
Local Organising Committee chairman Irvin Khoza told BuaNews that the draw was an indication that the World Cup was just around the corner, and that it was time for South Africans to buy tickets and be ready to welcome the world next year.
"South Africans must come together and rally behind Bafana Bafana," Khoza said, adding that he was certain that the national team would reach at least the second stage of the tournament.
Source: BuaNews
