The 2010 World Cup in South Africa kicked off early on Friday with the official draw, in which the 32 qualified teams learned which teams they will play during the tournament. Hosts South Africa will play Mexico, Uruguay and France, while the Netherlands will meet Japan, Cameroon and Denmark.

The draw didn't lead to any shock results. There is no  "Group of Death" - in which several top teams would be grouped together - although Group G can be considered the most challenging one, with Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal and World Cup outsider North Korea.

Netherlands
The Netherlands joined Japan, Cameroon and Denmark in Group E, with their opening match on Monday 14 June against Denmark in Johannesburg. The Oranje team will also play in Durban and Cape Town during their first round matches. Thousands of orange-clad supporters are expected to travel to these three cities.

The opening match, South Africa vs. Mexio, will be played on Friday 11 June at the brand new Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. This stadium will also host the final on Sunday 11 July. In total, 64 matches will be played.

First time
The 2010 World Cup marks the first time the event will be held on the African continent. Despite early fears for financial problems, a chaotic and outdated infrastructure and severe security issues, the South African organising committee says the country is now ready for one of the world's biggest sporting events.

African teams

Much is expected from the African teams, as experts believe they will draw strength from the South African crowds. African footballers who play in the Netherlands told our African department they are optimistic. "I think this World Cup will be a World Cup full of surprises", says Cameroon player Eyong Enoh (Ajax Amsterdam).  "In a competition like that, it all depends on how fit the players are".

His Cameroon side will play the Netherlands on 24 June in Cape Town.  "Having the Netherlands in our group is very interesting", Enoh says. "The Dutch start strong but in the important phases they have problems. Although, they have learned a lot in previous competitions".

Read and hear more reactions from African players in the Netherlands at RNW's African website.

Celebrations
Earlier on Friday, more than 15,000 people joined celebrations in Cape Town to mark the draw, which many South Africans saw as the official kick off to their World Cup.

Listen to the announcement of Group E, the group of the Netherlands:

The full results of the draw:

Group A

South Africa

Mexico

France

Uruguay

Group B

Argentina

South Korea

Nigeria

Greece

Group C

England

USA

Algeria

Slovenia

Group D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

Group E

Netherlands

Denmark

Japan

Cameroon

Group F

Italy

Paraguay

New Zealand

Slovakia

Group G

Brazil

North Korea

Ivory Coast

Portugal

Group H

Spain

Switzerland

Honduras

Chile