Before that the Fifa seedings committee will meet in the Mother City to decide how to structure the four pots from which the 32 countries will be drawn.
The committee will attempt to ensure that the draw is as balanced as possible when dividing the 32 into the eight first-round groups. Inevitably, there will be a "group of death", where top teams could fall out in the first round.
The Fifa world rankings are considered for the draw, but only up to a point. South Africa, as hosts, will be given the top seeding, even though their world ranking is a lowly 85th. Bafana are the second-lowest-ranked team among the 32 after North Korea, who are 91st. New Zealand are 83rd.
With top spot settled, the committee is expected to use the rankings to determine the next seven teams for the first pot.
Once the committee decides who the top eight seeds are, the next step is to try to keep teams from the same confederation apart.
This could mean that the five African qualifiers would all go into the third pot, along with the three remaining South American teams.
Here, then, is the likely scenario for the world soccer personalities who will make the draw:
First pot: SA, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England.
Second pot: France, Portugal, Slovakia, Switzerland, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovenia.
Third pot: Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay.
Fourth pot: Honduras, Mexico, USA, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand.
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