Every man and his dog probably saw at least snippets of the glitzy World Cup draw on Friday in Cape Town.

Actress Charlize Theron provided the eye candy, African dancers and singers the entertainment, former president Nelson Mandela the sage words and England's David Beckham the worst hairstyle but that was all just window dressing.

The real show starts next June when the big boys come out to play for the world's greatest sporting prize and the southern African nation gets its chance to truly strut its stuff.