Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The preliminary qualifying draw for the 2014 World Cup had some interesting contests set including in the European Zone where world football champion Spain is expected to rekindle its rivalry against France.

Spain was the last name drawn in Group I in the European qualifying group during the live telecast draw conducted by football's world governing body FIFA Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

The 1998 winners France last collided with Spain in the second round of the 2006 finale in Germany, with the French squad winning that encounter and advancing to the next round.

Spain will also play Belarus, Georgia and Finland in the same group.

Also in the European sector, four-time winner Italy will square off with Denmark in Group B, while in Group C, the Swedish contingent will be gearing up for a tough test against Germany, the most successful team in qualifying history.

England, which won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, will be campaigning in Group H against Ukraine, Montenegro and Poland.

The Netherlands, last year's runner-up to World Cup winner Spain in South Africa, will play Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia and Andorra in Group D.

Meanwhile in the African Zone, four-time finalist Morocco, the first African country to win a World Cup match, will be challenged in Group C by Cote d'Ivoire side, which played at the 18th FIFA World Cup in Germany 2006.

In Group D, the Ghana side, quarterfinalist in South Africa, is expected to have a tough challenge in rival Zambia.

Considered to have an easy round are African champions Egypt. The Egyptian side was paired with Guinea, Zimbabwe and either Comoros or Mozambique in Group G. Comoros and Mozambique will be playing in a preliminary qualifier.

In the Asian Zone draw, Asian champs Japan will be facing North Korea, one of its fellow region representatives in South Africa in 2010.

In the CONCACAF section, the United States will begin its bid in round three, where it will face Jamaica and two other teams that advance from the second round.

Also in the preliminary round 3 of this zone, Mexico will clash with Costa Rica, guided by former coach Ricardo La Volpe, in Group B.

The Oceania zone, the fifth FIFA confederation included in the Saturday's draw, will be highlighted by New Zealand, which is paired with Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea in Group B.

There was no draw for the South American group, with Brazil receiving an automatic berth as host nation.

Only 31 out of a record 203 teams competing in the preliminaries will advance to the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil which will kick off on June 12, 2014.

 

2014 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw

African Zone Draw

Group A: South Africa, Botswana, Central African Republic, Somalia or Ethiopia

Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar

Group C: Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Gambia, Chad or Tanzania

Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho or Burundi

Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe or Congo

Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya, Djibouti or Namibia

Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros or Mozambique

Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea or Rwanda

Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau or Togo, Swaziland or Congo DR

Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius or Liberia

Asian Zone Draw

Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore

Group B: Korea Republic, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon

Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Korea DPR

Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand

Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Two)

Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic

Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda

Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas

Group D: Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia

Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize

Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Three)

Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner of R2 Grp E, Winner of R2 Grp F

Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner of R2 Grp A, Winner of R2 Grp B

Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner of R2 Grp D, Winner of R2 Grp C

Oceanian Zone Draw

Group A: Vanuatu, New Caledonia, American Samoa/Cook Islands/Samoa or Tonga, Tahiti

Group B: Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea

European Zone Draw

Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales

Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.

Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.

Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.

Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.

Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg

Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein

Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino

Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland

 

 

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