Johannesburg - South Africa football fans are eagerly awaiting Saturday's draw for next year's Confederations Cup as they know that the draw will favour the hosts.

Bafana Bafana have been placed into Group A, but as one of four seeded teams, will face just one of either Italy or Spain and they can't be drawn into a group with Brazil.

South Africa's two other two opponents will be drawn from Iraq, New Zealand and the US.

The other group will see Egypt, Brazil and then either Italy or Spain and one of Iraq, New Zealand or the US competing in the June
14-28, 2009 competition.

For beleaguered Bafana fans, who earlier this year had to endure as their team was knocked out of the African Nations Cup at the qualifying stage, the draw will offer them some hope as South Africa should have an opportunity to advance to the semi-finals.

FIFA's Nicolas Maingot however dismissed any talk of the draw being fixed in favour of the hosts. "The seeding is done according to the FIFA rankings.

"And although South Africa is not amongst the four top-ranked teams, the hosts are always seeded."

Maingot said that there were not really any weak teams in the draw. "All countries participating in the Confederations Cup are very strong. There are no weak teams."

The competition is traditionally considered as a trial run for the World Cup, which the former apartheid state will be hosting as the first country in Africa in 2010, and organizers are adamant that they will be ready.

The 2010 World Cup Chief Executive Officer for Tshwane, Godfrey Nkwane, who is overseeing the renovation of the 55,000-seater Loftus Versfeld stadium which is one of four Confederations Cup venues as well as a World Cup venue, is convinced that they will be able to met the FIFA deadline of December 31.

"We are on deadline and are confident that we will be able to give FIFA the stadium at the end of the year. We might still have to do a few things after that date, but we are well on track with everything.

"I am also sure that the other stadiums that will be used for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup will be ready."

He said that he was sure that the world would be treated to two fantastic tournaments, starting next year with the Confederations Cup.

"Loftus Versfeld was used for the rugby World Cup in 1995 and a year later it was one of the venues of the African Cup of Nations. Both competitions went ahead without problems."

Saturday's draw will be held in the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

He will be assisted by seven participating Miss World candidates, who are in the country for the final of the Miss World pageant, which will also be held at the Convention Centre on December 13.

"Hosting as prestigious an event as the Miss World competition again underlines South Africa's ability to stage major global events. And as for the beautiful contestants assisting me on Saturday, it's certainly a draw I will be looking forward to more than most," Valcke said.

The participants assisting Valcke are Miss Brazil Tamara Almeida Silva, Miss Egypt Sanaa Hamed, Miss Italy Claudia Russo, Miss New Zealand Kahurangi Taylor, Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee, Miss Spain Patricia Yurena Rodríguez Alonjo, Miss United States Mercia Lindell and reigning Miss World Zilin Zhang, who will represent Asian champions Iraq.

Taylor said that she was looking forward to the draw. "Although football is not the most popular sport in my country, the All Whites have three times qualified for the Confederations Cup and I am hoping they will do well." (dpa)