SOUTH AFRICA
2010 World Cup party begins
Five-time winner Brazil was stung by a tough draw for the 2010 World Cup on Dec. 4 in Cape Town while co-favorite Spain was given an easy ride through to the second round.
Brazil must face two of the teams from the top 16 in FIFA's rankings — Portugal and Cote d'Ivoire. Also in the group is North Korea. Spain will face Switzerland, Honduras and Chile. The full draw for the June 11-July 11 tournament is as follows:
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay and France
Group B: Argentina, Greece, Nigeria and South Korea
Group C: England, United States, Algeria and Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana and Serbia
Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon and Denmark
Group F: Italy (holders), New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Cote d'Ivoire and Portugal
Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile and Switzerland
The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 12, 2009 (C) All rights reserved
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