Final draw fever grips SA

President Jacob Zuma and FIFA president Joseph S Blatter will welcome the audience at the beginning of the 90-minute live broadcast of the final draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Friday 4 December 2009 at 7pm.

The event will be beamed live to an estimated audience of more than 200 million people in more than 200 countries and has attracted unprecedented worldwide interest, with an onsite presence of 2000 invited guests and more than 1700 media representatives.

FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke will have star-studded company with South Africa's Academy Award winner, Charlize Theron as the guest presenter and football star David Beckham (England), one of only a few players to score in at least three consecutive FIFA World Cups. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia), two-time Olympic gold medallist and nine-time athletics world champion, Makhaya Ntini, the first black player in the South African cricket team, John Smit, the captain of rugby world champions South Africa and Bafana Bafana player Matthew Booth fill the wings.

Nelson will be there… virtually

Guests on the day will include Issa Hayatou, chairman of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup, Nobel Peace Prize winners Frederik W de Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as former football icons Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Eusebio and Roger Milla. The majority of the 32 coaches of the qualified teams are expected to be present at the draw.

Former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, one of the architects of the first African World Cup, will address the audience by video message.

"This is a very important event for football and Africa as the Final Draw comes to Cape Town where an unprecedented six teams from the host continent will be represented. We expect a record global audience which I hope will be glued to their screens for the duration of the show," said Valcke, who will marshal the actual draw.

CNN coverage

The cameras are already rolling, as CNN is broadcasting live from Cape Town, overlooking Greenpoint Stadium in the run up to the final draw on Friday. Reporting began on the 'South Africa 2010' special feature on Monday 30 November and will run to Sunday 6 December. Its international correspondents, Pedro Pinto, Nkepile Mabuse, Christian Purefoy, Robyn Curnow and David McKenzie share the tale of the African road to 2010 with a series of reports each day. Coverage will include:

An interview with FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke
What fans can expect when they arrive in June 2010 and what still needs to be done
An examination on the role of multinational and local sponsors and their relationship with FIFA
Safety and security for travelling fans, plus organised crime syndicates and terror threats
How thousands of ordinary South Africans and others will play a crucial role as volunteers
A look ahead to the next World Cup - Brazil in 2014

CNN chief sports correspondent, Pedro Pinto will lead live coverage of the draw, joined by former Dutch football midfielder Ronald de Boer for live analysis, while South African international player Benni McCarthy will provide instant analysis from the London studio.

Local power

It has taken a year of preparation, 3600 hours of labour and 5000 hours of production to put together the show from the stage to the actual performances. This includes a world premiere with a handmade 3D animation of the official mascot Zakumi, enabling the animated mascot to interact live on stage with the presenter during the show.

Grammy award-winners Soweto Gospel Choir, Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo and one of South Africa's most successful solo musicians Johnny Clegg will perform alongside the Jazzart Dance Company. The grand finale will feature 80 artists including internationally acclaimed musical ensemble Africa Umoja. African beats will echo through the draw, while the show will reach a fitting climax when the 32 teams discover whom they will be playing and when.

A compilation of poignant films will serve as a taster of the upcoming tournament scheduled from 11 June to 11 July 2010, including a journey through FIFA World Cup history and features on the host country with all its remarkable offerings for fans. Popular South African presenter Carol Manana will host the programme on a giant 4 800m2 stage made of 6.5 tons of steel, 1,600m2 of printed material, a 1.2 km steel handrail and 950m2 of timber.

Waterfront fun

K'yoze K'uyovalwa, the MTN mobile gig rig which was launched earlier in the year, will provide entertainment to the fans at the V&A Waterfront during the draw. Artists are available for media interviews at the V&A Waterfront, Clock Tower Square at set times, contact Kassey Belluigi on cell +27 (0)82 490 6082 for interviews and times . TKZee performs on 4 Dec 2009 from 3.50pm - 4.20pm; Flat Stanley from 6.30pm - 7pm; and Cassette from 8.30pm - 9pm.