PROBABLE POTS FOR WORLD CUP DRAW

Excitement is growing as the world gears up for the World Cup draw which will take place in Cape Town on December 4.

FIFA will not announce their seeding system until two days before, but here's what we might expect the four pots to look like:

POT ONE

South Africa
Germany
Brazil
Italy
Spain
England
France
Argentina

POT TWO

Holland
Portugal
Switzerland
Greece
Serbia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia

POT THREE

Mexico
USA
South Korea
Japan
Australia
Honduras
New Zealand
North Korea

POT FOUR

Paraguay
Ghana
Cameroon
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Uruguay
Algeria
Chile


To determine pot one (the seeded teams) FIFA's usual policy is to take into account the dual factors of world ranking and performance in the last two tournaments. The other pots are put together according to confederation to ensure an equal distribution. What is sure is that any non-European team in Pot One (South Africa and Brazil for sure, and probably Argentina as well) will only have one European team in their group (drawn from Pot Two), whereas any seeded European team will definitely have to face one other side from Europe in the group stage.

The 32 sides that have qualified are considered by many to constitute the strongest World Cup line up for a long time.

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN

There are now just...

200 days to go to the start of South Africa 2010..

11 June...The drama begins..

33 weeks tonight two countries will be gearing up to play the biggest football match played anywhere in the world over a four-year period to see who will land the greatest sporting prize there is...The World Cup..

11 July...The World Cup Final

FULL LIST OF QUALIFIERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA 2010

With 203 days to go to the start of the 2010 World Cup, the full list of the 32 qualifiers has been determined. They are:

Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Paraguay
Uruguay

Algeria
Cameroon
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
South Africa (Hosts)

Honduras
Mexico
USA

Australia
Japan
New Zealand
North Korea
South Korea

Denmark
England
France
Germany
Greece
Holland
Italy
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland

URUGUAY TAKE FINAL PLACE

Uruguay draw 1-1 with Costa Rica to complete a 2-1 aggregate win in their play-off for the last World Cup place.

The two-times World Champions (1930 and 1950) become the fifth South American side to qualify for the tournament joining, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina.

(ALMOST) FULL LIST OF QUALIFIERS

The line-up of nations who will compete in next summer's World Cup Finals in South Africa is almost complete - just one place to still be decided. In about two and a half hours Uruguay and Costa Rica will kick off in the second leg of their play-off to decide the final berth, with Uruguay holding a 1-0 lead. The other 31 qualifiers are as follows:

South Africa (Hosts)

Brazil
Chile
Paraguay
Argentina

Australia
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
New Zealand

Denmark
Serbia
Switzerland
Italy
Germany
Holland
England
Spain
France
Greece
Slovenia
Portugal
Slovakia

USA
Honduras
Mexico

Algeria
Cameroon
Nigeria
Ghana
Ivory Coast

WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS

2006 Runners-up France secured their place in South Africa following a 1-1 draw with Ireland in Paris, although controversy surrounded William Gallas's equalizing goal in extra time (that gave France a 2-1 aggregate win) after Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball in the build up.

Portugal won 1-0 in Bosnia to complete a 2-0 aggregate win.

2004 European Champions Greece won 1-0 in the Ukraine to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1994.

Slovenia broke Russian hearts with a 1-0 home win, which meant that the late away goal they scored in Moscow in Saturday proved decisive.

Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 in Khartoum to secure their first appearance in the Finals since 1982.

NEW ZEALAND BOOK FINALS BERTH

New Zealand sealed their place at next summer's World Cup Finals by virtue of a 1-0 win after Bahrain in the second leg of their play-off in Wellington.

Rory Fallon scored the all-important goal in the 44th minute, but Bahrain, seeking to reach the World Cup for the first time, missed a glorious chance to equalize when Sayed Adnan's poor penalty was saved five minutes into the second half.

New Zealand qualify for the Finals for the first time since 1982.

PREDICTIONS FOR PLAY-OFFS

My predictions for the World Cup Play-Offs...

As much as I'd like to see Bahrain reach the World Cup for the first time, I think the experience of New Zealand will prevail - I'll go for 1-0.

Uruguay and Costa Rica is a difficult one....I'll go with the Central American nation to come out on top against the two-time World Cup winners...

In Europe? Portugal, having only just sneaked into the play-offs, will get through but I think it'll be two tight games with Bosnia..

Ukraine will beat Greece...

France are in a delicate state and have a coach who may prove to be the weakest link...I think Ireland can take them and I'm expecting real drama in this one..

In spite of Russia's pedigree and Guus Hiddink's midas touch, I have a feeling that Slovenia will come out on top in this one and be heading to South Africa next summer...

RONALDO SET TO MISS PLAY-OFF

The ankle injury that has kept Cristiano Ronaldo out of action for a month looks set to rule him out of Portugal's forthcoming "do-or-die" double-header with Bosnia-Hervegovina.

The medical update affirms that Ronaldo needs more recuperation time, and comes in spite of Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz's assertion last month that the star player would definitely be involved in the play-off.

A poor qualification campaign has left Portugal - who finished fourth at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 - in the last chance saloon of the play-offs to seal a berth at South Africa 2010.

Bosnia will be buoyed by the news of Ronaldo's absence as they seek to reach the World Cup Finals for the first time ever. The first leg is in Lisbon on November 14 and the pressure will be on the Portuguese to establish a lead to take to Bosnia the following Wednesday.