The Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ has pitted two-time winners Argentina against Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece in Group B. It is a section that stirs memories of the 1994 finals in the United States – and one that appears, on paper at least, to be difficult to predict.

The favourites
Argentina: Despite their inconsistent showing in South American qualifying, the potential of Diego Maradona's squad remains vast given the plethora of world-class talents at his disposal. The greatest challenge for this relatively inexperienced coach will be knitting these proven individuals into a cohesive and reliable unit, something he has been unable to do thus far. That said, La Albiceleste's big names and status as former winners make them favourites to top the section.

Nigeria: Though lacking as many household names as in previous FIFA World Cup outings, coach Shaibu Amodu can call on a balanced squad made up of experienced performers and up-and-coming starlets. Having shown they were made of stern stuff in African Zone qualifying, when snatching a berth from Tunisia's hands in the final round of matches, the Super Eagles will feel confident of competing for a last-16 berth, the furthest they have gone at a finals to date.

The outsiders
Korea Republic: Under the steady guidance of coach Huh Jung-Moo, the South Koreans were less than imperious during the qualifying phase, though they did end up topping their group in the final round. Clinching a ticket to South Africa means they will become the Asian team with most appearances at the global showpiece, though doubts remain over their ability to transfer their regional dominance on to the biggest stage of all. With their experience and all-action style they could make a serious challenge for a top-two place, though a repeat of their run to the 2002 semi-finals would appear beyond them.

Greece: The archetypal 'hard nut to crack' under Otto Rehhagel, the 2004 European champions return to world football’s top table for the first time since their debut in 1994. Solid at the back and clinical up front, King Otto's well-drilled charges will be determined to avoid a repeat of that American adventure, which brought three straight defeats. What is more, confidence should be high in the Greek camp after they edged out 2006 quarter-finalists Ukraine in the European Zone play-offs.

The players to watch
Lionel Messi (ARG), Javier Mascherano (ARG), Carlos Tevez (ARG), Juan Veron (ARG), Park Ji-Sung (KOR), Park Chu-Young (KOR), Obafemi Martins (NIG), Aiyegbeni Yakubu (NIG), Georgios Karagounis (GRE) and Theofanis Gekas (GRE).

The crunch match
Argentina-Nigeria: Both these big-name sides only clinched their tickets to South Africa with wins in their final qualifiers and their meeting in Group B's opening encounter could well shape their respective fates. History is currently on the side of the Argentinians, who won both previous group meetings between the two nations at FIFA World Cup finals: 2-1 at USA 1994 and 1-0 at Korea/Japan 2002.

A look back
Greece-Nigeria, 30 June 1994
In the countries' final Group D match at USA '94, goals from Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi earned Nigeria a 2-0 win over Greece, sealing top spot in the section ahead of Bulgaria and Argentina. The Super Eagles went on to push eventual finalists Italy all the way in the Round of 16, going down to a 2-1 defeat after extra time. Greece, for their part, headed for home after failing to score a single goal in their three games.

Did you know?
Maradona will make his FIFA World Cup coaching bow against Nigeria, the same team he faced in his last finals appearance as a player at USA '94. It that same campaign on American soil he registered his eighth and final FIFA World Cup goal and his last in an Albiceleste shirt, in the 4-0 win over Greece. He was subsequently sent home from the tournament after failing a drugs test. El Diez will also have fond memories of playing against Korea Republic, who were beaten 3-1 in Argentina’s opening match of their triumphant 1986 campaign.

The stat
25 - The combined number of FIFA World Cups that the four teams drawn in Group B have taken part in. Argentina lead the way with 14, followed by Korea Republic with seven, Nigeria with three and Greece with one.

The question
He was a FIFA World Cup hero for Argentina as a player but how will Maradona fare as a coach on football's greatest stage?

Source: www.fifa.com/worldcup

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D lineup which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Although the dates and locations of each of the 48 group-stage games are known, the kick-off times will be announced shortly, upon conclusion of a meeting between FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and broadcasters.

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

Source: www.fifa.com/worldcup

Football supporters who travel to South Africa next year for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will receive the traditional warm South African welcome irrespective of which of the nine host cities they visit.

This was made apparent on the eve of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup where the host cities spoke to attending media and dignitaries about how they plan to host the world next year.

"We are 189 days towards the World Cup and as a city we are more than ready to host the world. Our accommodation is friendly, our transport is ready and our streets are safe," said Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Mayor, Zanoxolo Wayile.

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Mangaung/Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Rustenburg and Tshwane/Pretoria will host all of the 64 games over the one month long tournament from 11 June to 11 July 2010 but for Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, it is team work that will win the game.

"I want to wish all the cities success with their events. Our success will be your success and your success will be our success. But it is not only about the host cities but as South Africa on a whole as a country. We will need to succeed to ensure that South Africa succeeds."

The Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan, reminded the Host Cities about the important work ahead.

“Tomorrow we will know where the teams will be playing and you will know who will be playing the opening match in your host city. Tonight we are paying tribute to the host cities for agreeing to host this event next year. The World Cup will not be hosted in the offices of the Organising Committee but in these cities.”

Jordaan also welcomed two legends of African football, Abedi Pele Ayew and Ndaye Mulamba at the event. Mulamba now lives in Cape Town and still holds the record for the most number of goals (9) in an Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Mulamba, who captained his national side, then Zaire, in the 1974 FIFA World Cup said he was immensely proud that the World Cup was finally being held in Africa and he brought with him a message of support for the African countries participating in the World Cup.

“Everybody in Africa will get behind the countries who participate in the World Cup and I am very sure that one of the countries from our continent will do very well next year,” a visibly emotional and overwhelmed Mulamba said.

The Final Draw of the FIFA World Cup™ is an occasion that the fans of the 32 qualifying nations and football lovers in general always look forward to, though the same cannot be said of the national coaches involved. That same blend of anticipation and dread will be in evidence once more on Friday evening when the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The show gets under way at 19.00 (local time) and no matter who gets drawn with who, there are sure to be some coaches smiling at their good fortune and others who might be more inclined to burst into tears.

The whole of South Africa has been eagerly awaiting this moment since it was given the honour of being the first African country to organise the finals in May 2004. The tournament hosts will be hoping that actress Charlize Theron, one of the country’s best-known ambassadors, will bring them luck when she joins FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke in presenting the Final Draw.

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.  

African hopes and old hands
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.

For their part, the Ivorians are no doubt praying for better luck this time around after being pitched in a devilishly difficult section four years ago. “In 2006, we had the hunger, but we lacked experience. Another thing is, we were given a tough group,” Elephants midfielder Yaya Toure told FIFA.com in a recent interview. “We don’t know who will be our opponents this time around, but I guess that is something we cannot control. We will have to play against whomever our opponents turn out to be.”

In 2006, we had the hunger, but we lacked experience. Another thing is, we were given a tough group.

Côte d’Ivoire midfielder Yaya Toure

The coaches who will be attending the ceremony or following events live on TV or FIFA.com know full well that no matter what the Final Draw holds in store, their teams will still have to go out and beat the best if they wish to win the coveted Trophy. Four of the band of 32 have experienced that unique sensation during the course of their careers.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi was the man who guided them to glory at Germany 2006, while South Africa’s recently reinstalled manager Carlos Alberto Parreira achieved similar success with Brazil at USA 1994. And it was at that tournament that Seleçao coach Dunga had the pleasure of lifting the Trophy as the winning captain, an honour that also fell to Argentina’s Diego Maradona at Mexico 1986.

One big show, 32 little balls
Dunga and El Diez are aiming to emulate Franz Beckenbauer’s achievement in winning the FIFA World Cup as both a player and coach. Der Kaiser is just one of the celebrities from the football world who will be on show at the International Convention Centre, along with other luminaries such as Michel Platini, Eusebio, Luis Figo, Roger Milla, Lucas Radebe, Ruud Gullit and David Beckham. Helping them make the occasion even more memorable will be a clutch of stars from other sports as well as a host of eminent public figures and well-known South African personalities.

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.

Once the evening’s colourful entertainment is over, however, the audience’s attention will turn to four glass bowls containing 32 tiny little balls. All in all, it promises to be quite an occasion.

Source: www.fifa.com/worldcup

The eyes of the world are on the Cape of Good Hope where excitement levels are reaching fever pitch ahead of Friday 4 December's Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Beginning at 7pm local time in Cape Town, the 32 finalists are about to discover the identity of their group rivals for the global showpiece - set to take place from 11 June to 11 July next year.

“I’m really looking forward to the draw,” said Germany coach Joachim Low, summing up the mood of players, coaches and fans around Planet Football. "That’s when the World Cup really starts for me, this is what it’s all about.”

And come Friday, millions will be looking on intently as the draw progresses, with football followers keeping their fingers crossed that their national sides can avoid the toughest groups. Even for experienced FIFA World Cup performers, getting out of the group can prove fraught with danger if the Draw goes against you, with fancied sides invariably falling at the first hurdle.

Indeed, every Draw throws up at least one fiercely competitive section, where several traditional powers have to fight for the right to progress. Who can forget Group C at Germany 2006, which comprised Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and the Netherlands? Then there are the dark horses to contend with, quality teams which strive to spring a surprise and relish the opportunity to upset the game's established heavyweights.

So, with the stage perfectly set for Friday evening's proceedings, FIFA.com has decided to use this week’s 'Have Your Say' feature to ask a very pertinent question:

What are you hoping for in the FIFA World Cup Final Draw?

Make sure your voice is heard by clicking on 'Add your comment', and please remember to keep your posts clean, respectful, on-topic and in English.

Source: www.fifa.com/worldcup