After years of missing out, Bafana Bafana will finally be in the hat for the Fifa World Cup draw tonight when the world governing body conducts the pairings for next year’s World Cup.
Tonight’s draw takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C (6pm), with South African placed in Pot 3.
The tournament, to be co-hosted by the US, Alphonso Davis-led Canada and Mexico will take place from June 11 to July 26, and the 48 teams will be divided into four pots of 12, based on Fifa rankings.
SA are alongside Norway, Algeria, Egypt, Scotland, Panama, Paraguay, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde in Pot 3, meaning they can’t be grouped with any of these sides.
Pot 1 has the tournament’s top-ranked countries, including three host nations - the US, who are ranked 14th, Mexico, 15th and Canada 27th.
Spain are first in the world, while world champions Argentina are second, 2022 World Cup finalists France are third, England are fourth, Brazil are fifth, Portugal are sixth, the Netherlands are seventh, Belgium are ranked eighth, and Germany ninth, all in Pot 1.
Pot 2 has Croatia, who are ranked 10th, Colombia 13th, Uruguay 16th, Switzerland 17th, Japan 18th, Iran 20th, Korea Republic 22nd, Ecuador 23rd, Austria 24th, Australia 26th, and cannot be drawn with Morocco, who are 11th and Senegal, who are ranked 19th, because they are from the same continent.
Pot 4 has Jordan, who are ranked 66th, Curacao 82nd, Haiti 84th and New Zealand 86th, Cabo Verde 68th, and Ghana 72nd, plus the six countries to come from the UEFA and intercontinental Play-Offs.
We look at Bafana’s best and worst possible draws.,
Best possible draw
Canada (ranked 27 in the world), from Pot 1
Austria (ranked 24th), from Pot 2
New Zealand (ranked 86th), from Pot 4
Worst possible draw
Spain (ranked first) from Pot 1
Croatia (ranked 10th) from Pot 2
One of the six countries from the Uefa and intercontinental play-offs from Pot 3 between Iraq, who are ranked 58th, DR Congo 56th, Jamaica 70th, Bolivia 76th, New Caledonia 159th, and Suriname (unranked).
Sowetan
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