TONIGHT Bafana Bafana will know who they will face in the first round of the 2010 World Cup when the final draw is made in Cape Town.
The mother city is feeling the weight of World Cup hype as streets are blocked off and celebrities such as David Beckham and Charlize Theron hit town.
But the real interest will be on the three teams that will be in the same first round group as South Africa.
Fifa appears to have done what it can to improve our chances, including us in the top 8 seeds although we are the second lowest ranked team in the tournament. This means we will not face Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands or Spain in the first round.
After that, it’s in the hands of the football Gods and we can only hope that we don’t draw the likes of Cameroon, Mexico, Ivory Coast or Ghana.
It would be a tragedy if an African country were to be eliminated by another from the continent in the first round of the first contest on African soil.
But, instead of fearing the draw, we should allow it to release pressure so that the team can focus on dealing with key weaknesses – identified as match-fitness and match-time by Local Organising Committee boss Danny Jordaan.
We have as good a squad as we could assemble under the tutelage of as good a coach as we could get.
What the players need is a simple plan to get ready. And they need the support of the nation.
It no longer serves any useful purpose to rake over the coals of recent performances or to bemoan the state of football’s administration.
We must become one nation united in unconditional support for our team. Go Bafana!

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2. World Cup alarm bells are ringing
3. Bafana will star in world’s first 3D television broadcast
4. Carlos Parreira back to coach Bafana – Good or bad?
5. Bafana – the Limerick