Dutch and Czechs ones to avoid in World Cup
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-08 11:25

No more than two European teams will be in one group while teams from the CONCACAF, African, Asian and South American confederations will also be kept apart.

Among the most intensely interested nations will be those taking part for the first time, including no less than four from Africa -- Ghana, Ivory Coast, Angola and Togo. Ukraine and Trinidad & Tobago are also debutants.

Germany have already been allocated slot A1 in the draw, guaranteeing that as hosts they open the tournament in Munich on June 9 before playing matches in Dortmund on June 14 and Berlin on June 20.

BIGGER STADIUMS

Brazil, as champions, have been allocated position F1, determining a first round programme which also ensures they play in the bigger stadiums in the opening round.

Brazil start their campaign in Berlin on June 13 before playing in Munich on June 18 and Dortmund on June 22.

Those draw positions ensure that Germany and Brazil, finalists in 2002, cannot meet before the final again if both finish top of their groups. The top two from each first round group qualify for knockout games in the last 16.

Apart from the seeds and the draw positions of Germany and Brazil, the rest of Friday's draw is impossible to predict despite intense speculation in the world's media.

A headline in Wednesday's Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper proclaimed: "Germany is threatened with extremely difficult group" but the hosts could just as easily get a relatively comfortable draw, and much will depend on whether they come up against the Netherlands or the Czechs.

The draw will be televised live to 150 countries and an estimated global audience of around 350 million people.

Footballing personalities Pele, Lothar Matthaeus and Andriy Shevchenko are all expected to take part in the ceremony which will be compered by FIFA's director of communications Markus Siegler.