The next defining moment on the road to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa arrives this morning when the seeds will be announced at a Cape Town media conference.
There are 32 qualifiers led by defending champions Italy and officials from FIFA are tasked with separating them into four pots of eight.
International rankings, World Cup records and geography are among issues that could be considered ahead of an announcement that can severely raise or lower the chances of a contender.
A complication is that only Europe, which provides 13 qualifiers, can have two teams from the same continent in a group for the June 11-July 11 world football showpiece.
And while the leading football nations are supposed to occupy the first pot, South Africa are certain to be among them despite being the lowest ranked at 86 of the finalists.
This is because Bafana Bafana (The Boys) as hosts automatically secure a place beside international giants like Brazil, Italy, Germany and on-song England and Spain.
FIFA insiders suggest Argentina could be among the elite despite securing a ticket to South Africa only in the final round of regional qualifiers by grinding a solitary-goal away victory over Uruguay.
That would leave one top-pot place vacant with France, champions and runners-up in the last three tournaments, Netherlands and Portugal likely contenders.
Another pot is set to be filled exclusively by European teams with two of the above trio joining Denmark, Greece, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Serbia and Slovakia are newcomers to the quadrennial tournament with the former topping a group including France and the latter finishing first in a pool containing Poland and the Czech Republic.
African challengers Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria and Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay from South America could form a pot for Friday evening's draw at the Cape Town International Conference Centre.
That would leave Australia, Japan, North and South Korea from Asia, Honduras, Mexico and United States from North-Central America and New Zealand from Oceania in the final pot.
Every draw delivers at least one 'Group of Death' and placing Brazil with Portugal, France or Netherlands, Chile or Paraguay and Australia or Mexico would certainly fit that bill.
South Africa, with just one win from the last 11 matches, desperately need a 'Group of Life' that could be provided by having Denmark, Greece or Switzerland, Uruguay and New Zealand in their mini-league.
Each country plays three first round fixtures with those finishing first and second on the final standings advancing to the four-round knockout phase that culminates with the July 11 final at Soccer City near Soweto.
World Cup winners form an exclusive club with just seven members - Brazil (five titles), Italy (four), Germany (three), Argentina and Uruguay (two each) and England and France (one apiece).