All eyes on Rio for World Cup draw

The eyes of the footballing world were on Rio de Janeiro on Saturday for the preliminary draw for the 20th World Cup. The draw was due to start at 1800 GMT at Rio's Marina, a stone's throw from a Copacabana beach which was baking in unseasonally high temperatures for a Brazilian mid-winter. After an initial draw for the playoff format which will ensue at the end of the marathon two-year process, former Brazil skipper Cafu and young starlet Neymar were to draw the balls for the African qualifying zone - an ultra-complex area which will see three group stages before five qualifiers finally emerge. Thereafter, 1980s star Zico and current international Lucas were to draw the Asian zone before 1994 champion Bebeto and Felipe Bastos took to the stage to take charge of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Following them were legendary Brazil coach Mario Zagallo and Lucas Piazon for the Oceania zone. Then 2002 champion Ronaldo was due to draw the final section, the European zone, alongside Neymar's international teammate Ganso, who is one of the host nation's chief hopes for glory in three years' time. The event will return to Brazil in 2014 for the first time since 1950, when the Samba Stars lost the final to Uruguay before Pele came along and inspired the first of their five triumphs in Sweden in 1958. In all, some 200 countries will have ploughed through 824 qualifiers for the right to claim one of 32 berths at the extravaganza in three years' time. In the run-up to the draw FIFA president Sepp Blatter promised that "Brazil and FIFA will together offer an exceptional World Cup in 2014. Brazil is the country of football." Organising committee chief Ricardo Teixeira insisted Friday the gigantic country would overcome the massive logistical challenge of building new stadiums and revamping old ones such as Rio's mythical Maracana as well as overhauling a creaking airport system in time for the event. Security is also a huge challenge with hundreds of thousands of fans due to descend on the country from all corners of the globe, but organisers insist they are optimistic everything will go to plan. But first, the teams have to qualify -- save for the hosts and five-times champions. Brazil will join France, Germany, Italy and Mexico in hosting the event twice while the tournament will be the second in succession to be held in the southern hemisphere after South Africa 2010. As well as Brazilian stars from the past and present, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was also expected to be on hand and pop star Ivete Sangalo and composer Daniel Jobim were out to ensure the event goes with a swing. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke was overseeing the draw in a city which two years after the competition will host South America's first Olympic Games. South America, which has Brazil plus four guaranteed slots for the finals and an extra playoff possibility, last hosted the World Cup at Argentina 1978.= In Europe, there will be 13 qualifiers - nine group winners and four playoff winners. Asian contestants will scrap for four or five berths, the last one decided through a playoff. North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) teams were fighting for three guaranteed plus one play-off berth, while Oceania's best finisher from 11 countries will get a place only via a play-off.