Herbert's All Whites wait on luck of the draw

EVERY football fan in New Zealand seems to have an opinion about which team they'd like the All Whites to play in next year's World Cup.

Coach Ricki Herbert wants to play England because of all the ties to this country. Captain Ryan Nelsen just wants to draw the easiest opponents to have a chance of getting a result or even progressing to the second round.

Many punters however seem to have an obsession with Brazil, the most glamorous team in football.

On Saturday morning we'll all know, but one thing is for sure, there is no such thing as an easy opponent in the World Cup now the initial 200 teams have been whittled down to 32.

Some critics have noted that New Zealand does not deserve to be there ahead of highly-ranked teams such as Croatia, Russia and the Czech Republic. But generally the best teams in the world will be represented in the four bowls for the draw at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Each pot will have eight names in them, host country South Africa and the seven top-seeded teams in pot A and the lowest-ranked in pot D, including New Zealand.

Each group will get one team from each bowl to avoid having two or more top teams or two minnows in one pool.

On Wednesday, the Fifa Executive Committee will have a special meeting to determine how the teams are ranked, most likely along the current Fifa ranking, with slight adjustments based on recent World Cup results.

Cameroon and Greece, for example, are ranked 11 and 12 in the world but their lack of results in recent World Cups might just push them down the pecking order.

The executive will also look to spread the teams from different continents but no doubt there will always be a "Pool of Death" with two or more European power houses.

The Fifa rankings should have that covered with the big guns in the top eight, the Africans, South Americans and the second tier of Europeans in bowl B and C and the Asian countries, New Zealand and the European and Latin surprise teams in the final group of eight.

Ironically, however, host nation South Africa may just prove to be the hot potato for the executive. For the first time in World Cup history, Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys) as they are known in the republic, will enter the tournament as the lowest ranked team at 86, nine slots behind the All Whites.

Having to slot the hosts in the top eight, however, could push Argentina into the second group, which would raise some concerns with South American delegates.

Having England and Argentina in the second tier could throw up some terrific fixtures. Argentina, for example, could easily end up in a Latin group with Brazil, Uruguay and Honduras.

England on the other hand may struggle to get out of the first round if they draw the likes of Spain, Nigeria and Slovenia.

For the All Whites, the draw looks nasty, whatever way you look at it. If Herbert gets his wish, New Zealand will play England plus another giant of world football plus potentially a third country with the pedigree of Uruguay, Nigeria or Denmark. It is hard to see which team he would target to get a respectable result.

On the other hand, if Nelsen's hopes are fulfilled, we might end up with a rerun of the rugby Tri Nations with South Africa from bowl A, Australia from bowl C plus a less intimidating team such as Greece or Mexico from bowl B. Those names might even create some interest with hardcore rugby fans.

It is hard to find a good old easybeat among the teams so the top sides are licking their lips thinking about the prospect of playing New Zealand, the only country with true amateurs in their squad.

- © Fairfax NZ News