Forty-three countries from the continent started out on the road to Brazil, but after the conclusion of the second round of qualifiers this week, only 20 are left.

That is made up of the 15 winners of those two-legged ties as well as Australia, South Korea, Japan, Bahrain and DPR Korea, the region's leading sides from the 2010 qualifying competition.

Saturday's draw will see the 20 teams drawn into five round-robin, home-and-away groups of four teams each, with the five group winners and five runners-up advance to the next round.

That fourth round will have 10 teams in two round-robin, home-and-away groups of five teams each with the top two in each pool heading for the finals while the two third-placed sides play-off with the winner then facing a continental play-off.

Australia lost out on goal difference to Ghana in the first group stage at the South Africa finals while Japan lost to Paraguay in a round of 16 penalty shoot-out.

Korea Republic were defeated 2-1 by Uruguay at the same stage, but DPR Korea lost all three of their group games, including a 7-0 thrashing by Portugal.

Japan go into Saturday's draw having captured the AFC Asian Cup with a 1-0 win in the final against Australia in January.

Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima believes veteran coach Alberto Zaccheroni will again be key as the Asian qualifiers heat up in September.

"He constantly inspires us with confidence," Kawashima told fifa.com. "Not only confidence in ourselves, but in our team-mates as well."

Kawashima will not be able to watch Saturday's draw as he will be turning out for his Belgian club Lierse in their season opener.

"There are so many different playing styles in Asia that it’s really not easy to qualify, even if we have managed to qualify with greater ease in recent years," said Kawashima.

Making up Saturday's draw will be Iran, Iraq, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Syria, China, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.

UAE, Iraq and Indonesia (who competed as the Dutch East Indies) are aiming to add to their solitary World Cup campaigns of 1990, 1986 and 1934 respectively.