As the host nation South Africa will receive a seeding in the 2010 World Cup - but it will not be the the kind of favourable draw that Bafana Bafana received for the Confederations Cup. This was stated on Wednesday by Jerome Valcke at a specially convened and frank media briefing at which the FIFA secretary-general conceded the Confederations Cup draw, in which Bafana were presented with an inviting opportunity of qualifying for the semifinals, had emerged in favour of the host nation.
The current world top-ranked team, Spain, were drawn in South Africa's section, but the Group A segment also includes New Zealand and Iraq, with only one side among the top 58 teams in the world. In contrast the Group B section includes highly rated teams like South American champions Brazil and World Cup holders Italy, with four competitive countries all among the 24 leading teams in the FIFA rankings. The fact that two teams from each group will go through to the semifinals is also in favour of the host country's national team.
The FIFA secretary-general declared, “Nothing like this will happen at the World Cup. With the eight groups of four teams all reasonably well-balanced.”
Valcke said the only certainty that FIFA had regarding the 2010 World Cup is that it will be staged in South Africa. Tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will go on sale on February 20.
FIFA revealed that it has already sold record amounts of hospitality packages to businesses around the world.
