SA Footy

African Zone
Angola (ANG)
Cote d'Ivoire (CIV)
Togo (TOG)
Ghana (GHA)
Tunisia (TUN)

Asian Zone
Japan (JPN)
Iran (IRN)
Korea Republic (KOR)
Saudi Arabia (KSA)

European Zone
Germany (GER)
Ukraine (UKR)
Netherlands (NED)
Poland (POL)
England (ENG)
Croatia (CRO)
Italy (ITA)
Portugal (POR)
Sweden (SWE)
Serbia and Montenegro (SCG)
France (FRA)
Switzerland (SUI)
Spain (ESP)
Czech Republic (CZE)

North, Central American and Caribbean Zone
USA (USA)
Mexico (MEX)
Costa Rica (CRC)
Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)

Oceanian Zone
Australia (AUS)

South American Zone
Argentina (ARG)
Brazil (BRA)
Ecuador (ECU)
Paraguay (PAR)

WTF? Ivory Coast and Togo?

Hooray for Trinidad and Tobago, mun!

Whens the draw for the World Cup announced?

December 10

The African qualifiers I cant believe. No Cameroon, Nigeria or Senegal. The group stages are upside down over there!

Thanks Sam. I'll use this as a reference up until the draw.
Strewth, I'd like to be in the USA's qualifying group; Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico. I am guessing that Fifa knows something I don't to allow so many teams in from a group with those credentials in.

Mexico are a good side, but the rest are pretty average. Oceania dont even get one spot yet they get 3? This is why the USA is ranked 7th(?) in the world and qualify for every world cup.

People on TV on wednesday night said that australia were ranked 54th in the world.

How does just making the WC change our rank? or will the ranking only change after the WC?

if anyone knows, where are we ranked now after wednesday night?

FIFA do the rankings each month i think, but they dont change to often, Australia will probably go top 30, and Uraguy will fall back from 17th to around the same postion, as quite abit of position changing will be happening as most countrys are playing games at the moment.

How does Greece not make it in to the WC?

Not that it matters... But i would have thought a team that won Euro this year would make it in easily?

also i'm surprised countries like scotland and ireland didn't make it either.

I think the free passport that the Yanks have had into the World Cup all these years has actually damaged the game in the USA. Most Americans I meet have very little respect for the world game, and enjoy reminding themselves that they don't take it seriously and always make the finals. No doubt they have a very good side now, and deserve to be there based on that team's credentials, but they probably would show the competition a little more respect if they had actually been required to "earn" their place for the past so many World Cups.

Pots:

1st pot
Germany, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Mexico, USA, England, France, (Holland), (Argentina)

2nd pot
Sweden, Portugal, Ukraine, Croatia, Poland, (Holland), All remaining European team

3rd pot
Iran, Japan, S Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Paraguay, (Argentina), (Uruguay), (Bahrain), (Australia)

4th pot
Angola, Tunisia, CIV, Ghana, Togo, Costa Rica, Guatemala, (Trinidad & Tobago)

From here: http://www.iransportspress.com/?c=118&a=2244

Interesting post TRB, do you know what the qualification process is for the USA??

Constance, I don't know the details of the process. I only know that aside from Mexico, (and I guess Canada) they must qualify against tiny little islands in the Carribean and small countries in Middle America, and their group is awarded 4 places for the World Cup.
Maybe Sam will know more about it.

this will probably help explain it abit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_W ... n_CONCACAF)

Thanks Sam, interesting read that.
A bit surprised that Costa Rica beat the USA 3-0 to earn its place in Germany. I assume it was a result of the fact that the USA had qualified a month previously and the match held no significance for them, so their hearts weren't in it. Either that, or the standard of the group is higher than I anticipated.

Interesting to see that the Ivory Coast have qualified. I think Drogba is an awesome talent and I am glad he will have the greatest stage to showcase his talents. Very disappointing that Senegal didn't get through.
Can't believe that US are 7th either, 20th would be closer to the mark.

Saw the group preview today in the Advertiser that had Mexico, Iran, Angola and I think Argentina.
Wondering does anyone remember the Mexican player from the last World Cup, Nelson Cuaves (spelling?). Mexico were playing Paraguay I think and they were down 2-1 halfway into the second half and Cuaves was brought on as a substitute and played 25 minutes of the most inspiring football you would wish to see and scored perhaps the best individual goal of that world cup.
Is he still a part of the set up and what club does he play for?