Ireland will have to overcome France, Portugal, Russia or Greece in a two-legged play-off if they are to reach the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Giovanni Trapattoni's team sealed qualification courtesy of their dramatic 2-2 draw against Italy, the world champions, at Croke Park on Saturday. However, Ireland have not been seeded for the World Cup play-offs because France, Portugal, Russia and Greece are all ranked higher than them in the latest Fifa world rankings.

Instead Ireland find themselves in the unseeded pot, which includes the best of therest of the group runners-up - Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia. Ireland enter the play-offs with the only unbeaten record among the eight contenders, with four wins and six draws during their qualifying campaign.

Trapattoni has hinted that a trek to Moscow to play Russia in deep mid-winter does not appeal to him, but Greece would be ideal.

Faced with the prospect of facing a tough play-off Trapattoni outlined his strategy. “We are not a super team but we have a good group of players,” he said. “We have not been humiliated by any team on the pitch. We have held our heads high.

“Our team believes. I am not God but I have many experiences and it is possible to achieve anything. In Italy, there is a saying that there’s no point in making excuses before something happens. We have improved and our aim is South Africa.”

Raymond Domenech's France are the top-ranked play-off team in ninth on the Fifa list, one ahead of Portugal. Carlos Queiroz's side have risen seven places in the rankings thanks to their positive end to the qualifying campaign. Guus Hiddink's Russia slipped six spots to 12th with 2004 European champions Greece lying in 16th.

Ukraine, who spoiled England's perfect qualifying record with a 1-0 win in Dnipropetrovsk last Saturday, are the top-ranked unseeded team at 22nd with Ireland 34th, Bosnia-Herzegovina 42nd and Slovenia 49th.