The day we have all been waiting for has arrived. The Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will take place this evening at 7pm (local time) at the International Convention Center in Cape Town.
Taking place on a huge wooden stage with a typically African backdrop, the Final Draw will be preceded by a ceremony featuring a series of speeches and a dazzling array of live music and dance performances.
32 Tiny Balls
Once the evening’s colourful entertainment is over, however, the audience’s attention will turn to four glass bowls containing 32 tiny little balls, which will carry the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of fans.
This final draw will be the last major event before the actual 2010 World Cup kicks off in June 2010.
World Cup Host Cities
Tonight we will know who plays whom and where the various teams will play. Coaches and team management will be able to finalise their living arrangements and those that have not done so yet will be able to confirm host cities.
Official World Cup Match Ball
For me, one of the more interesting events this evening will be the announcement of the Official Match Ball. We have been playing with the Adidas Kopanya – the Confederations Cup ball since that event.
Group of Death
Eish! And the legendary Group of Death? As underdogs, South Africans are hoping and praying that our national team, which hasn’t been performing well at all, will not only avoid the group of death, but will get a favourable draw. Maybe our lovely Oscar winner, Charlize Theron, will bring Bafana Bafana luck tonight.
How the Draw Could Play Out
According to Fifa .com Bafana Bafana are one of the seeded teams and will be in good company in Pot 1, where they will be joined by five former winners of the competition with 15 wins between them: Brazil (5), Italy (4), Germany (3), Argentina (2) and England (1). Completing the elite octet are Spain and Netherlands.
France and Uruguay, the two other former champions, will be feeling slightly more nervous about their prospects ahead of the big night. The illustrious duo only scraped their way into the finals at the last minute following close-fought play-off matches and subsequently find themselves in Pot 4 and 3 respectively.
Africa’s Hopes
In addition to the hosts, five other African teams will be hoping to avoid a tough draw to increase their chances of impressing on their home continent. Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria are all back in the finals after absences of varying lengths, while Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are both making immediate returns.
188 Days to go!
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We are so involved with the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa that we almost forget that September is going to be a big month for some of the teams who are playing important matches in the qualifiers.
