Cape Town — South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana face a difficult first round in the 2010 World Cup soccer finals, while Nigeria will contend with familiar opponents and Cameroon can probably count themselves luckier than their African counterparts.

This emerged from the glamour and glitz of the World Cup draw held in the Cape Town International Conference Centre tonight.

South Africa, the hosts of the tournament, will open play against Mexico in the opening game on June 11 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, after being drawn in a tough Group A. Also paired with Bafana Bafana are European giants France and South American side Uruguay, two-time winners of the tournament.

It is a desperately tough grouping for coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and his side, with all three matches considered very difficult.

Côte d'Ivoire have once again been paired in a tough pool, having been in the Group of Death in their maiden World Cup showing in Germany 2006. They will open their tournament against Portugal in Group G, having also been paired with the might of Brazil and minnows North Korea.

Nigeria will have a feeling of déjà vu as they face Argentina and Greece in Group B, the same teams they played in their maiden World Cup in 1994. Also in their pool is South Korea, a very good side.

North Africans Algeria will feel they have a chance as they meet England, the United States and Slovenia. It is not an easy pool for sure, but if they can get something from the games against the USA and Slovenia they will stand a chance.

Ghana are not so lucky, having been pooled in Group D along with Germany, Serbia and Australia, three very tough matches for the Black Stars.

Cameroon will be quietly confident with their pool, which also includes Holland, Denmark and Japan.

In the two pools without African sides, Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia meet in Group F, while Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile are together in Group H.