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Tomorrow, it becomes reality - a seemingly-interminable wait of six years now down to just six months.

For ever since winning the right to stage Africa's first World Cup back in 2004, South Africans have been impatient for 2010.

"This is our time, this is our year," Danny Jordaan,. "This is the year when as a nation, we will open our doors, hearts and sporting spirits to the world."

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If there's one Christmas present all football managers across Europe would probably want, it's undoubtedly a change in the scheduling of the African Cup of Nations.

Every other year, the club-versus-country row routinely dominates the back pages as Africa's premier sports event approaches and clubs lose key players for around a month.

And the row seems to grow with every passing year as Africans become increasingly pivotal in world football.

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If you blinked, you probably missed it - the debut appearance of one of Africa's legendary clubs on the global stage, that is.

For at this year's Fifa Club World Cup, .

Their stay was brief, beaten 2-1 by Pohang Steelers in the quarters before Wednesday's unfortunate 3-2 defeat to Auckland City. Yet it's worth paying attention to Mazembe because there's no knowing when they will return - especially given the impending departure of star player Tresor Mputu and the routine chaos of the Congolese game.

So why are Mazembe one of Africa's greatest names? And I'm not simply talking about their previous incarnation as Tout Puissant Englebert...

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For anyone interested in the Â鶹Éç's African Footballer of 2009 award, Friday's Fifa Club World Cup clash between DR Congo's TP Mazembe and South Korea's Pohang Steelers would have made interesting viewing.

The key question being: does Mazembe captain Tresor Mputu merit his place alongside Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Toure?

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A heavy dose of reality crashed down upon African hopes of a maiden Fifa World Cup title after Friday's draw pitched the in challenging groups.

In the build-up to the , where locals flooded the city centre for the most colourful of street parties, most of the talk centred upon Ghana and Ivory Coast spearheading Africa's unlikely quest.

But now the tables have turned after the Black Stars landed in among Germany, Australia and Serbia (Group D) while the Ivorians face

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