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<SPAN class=art-title2>First steps to preliminary phase</SPAN> <TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=5 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
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<SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>The first qualifying matches for South Africa 2010 will be held as early as August 2007, when the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) hosts the South Pacific Games from 25 August to 8 September.</SPAN><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(FIFA.com)</SPAN> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(FIFA.com)</SPAN> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">19 Feb 2007</SPAN>
<SPAN class=art-text>As Sepp Herberger, coach of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup™, once memorably said: "After the final whistle blows, kick-off's never far away." This saying is very much reflected in the period between FIFA World Cup final phases. When the referee blew the final whistle on 9 July 2006 in Berlin's Olympiastadion, he was also kicking off the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The finals will be held in nine cities throughout South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010.
Although the tournament may seem a long way off, the preparations for this greatest of sporting events are already going full speed ahead. While the infrastructure and stadiums are obviously the focus of a great deal of attention at the present time, a tournament of this magnitude also requires a lot of work in other vital areas. None more so than the qualifying process that determines which of the world's footballing nations are strong enough to earn a place in South Africa.
This first phase officially got underway when invitations were sent to all 207 member associations. These forms have to be completed and returned to FIFA by 1 March 2007 in order to allow each national team to take part in the qualifying rounds of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
32 teams, 31 slots up for grabs
South Africa qualify automatically as the host nation, so the rest of the world will be competing for the remaining 31 places in the final phase. As has been the case at past tournaments, the majority of teams will come from Europe, which has 13 slots.
African teams have an interesting three years ahead of them, since this will be their first FIFA World Cup on home soil and in front of their own partisan fans. Each of Africa's participating nations will therefore be doubly keen to secure one of the five berths available.
South America have been allocated four places, with a further slot available via a play-off with a team from the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone, who themselves have three guaranteed places.
Asia will be represented by four teams at the tournament, with a fifth berth also available via a play-off with the winners of the Oceania Zone.<TABLE class=textblack11px_normal id=IMGTAB height=150 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=150 align=left summary="" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR id=TRCAP><TD vAlign=bottom align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>The South African fans are getting ready to welcome the world in little over three and a half year's time - and hopefully cheer their team to victory in the process!</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRSOURCE><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRAUTHOR><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>Alexander Joe</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Preliminary draw in Durban
The majority of the teams who have successfully submitted their application by 1 March will go into the various pots for [b]the prel
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