World Cup 2010 – South Africa

25Jun2010 - day4

i am going to chuck in loads of text to see if it goes onto a 2nd page

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz feels his side deserve
their qualification to the last 16 after claiming the point they needed
in a goalless draw with Brazil.

Portugal kept three
clean-sheets from their group games with Ivory Coast, North Korea and
Brazil to seal a place in the second round as runners-up.

"It's a
qualification that is fully merited," said Quieroz.

"Now we have
to think about another type of game, with everything for the winner and
nothing for the loser."

Friday's game in Durban was
predicted to be potentially one of the matches of the group stage
between two highly-ranked sides renowned for their attacking quality.

However,
with both teams essentially guaranteed a place in the first knockout
round in South Africa before kick-off, the game was a disappointingly
dour affair.

Portugal knew a point would definitely give them a
place in the last 16 and only a nine goal turnaround in favour of Ivory
Coast - who beat North Korea 3-0 in Group G's other game - could deny
them.

606: DEBATE

There
was effort and energy but the defences both played great and stayed on
top that's how it goes sometimes

polopo

"It was a difficult game. They started very strongly, we had to put
on our working overalls but I think we left the match wearing a smoking
jacket," added Queiroz.

"There was a fantastic attitude from all
the Portugal players. They were great in how they tried to play their
football and how they fought.

"Today, my players were ready to
sacrifice themselves.

"When you play against a Brazil side that
has beautiful and great players, you have to give everything.

"When
it was necessary to defend, we defended and when we needed to attack we
attacked.

"I think my team as a whole merited the
man-of-the-match award."

The closest Portugal came to scoring a
goal was when Raul Meireles benefitted from Lucio's tackle on Cristiano
Ronaldo, which deflected the ball across the goalmouth but which the
midfielder could only fire wide.

The European side were also
indebted to keeper Eduardo who produced a superb save in the first half
to deny Nilmar and then tipped away a deflected injury-time shot from
substitute Ramires to help his side to the draw they needed.

Real
Madrid star Ronaldo, who toiled effectively as a lone forward for his
side, admitted his side were now "confident for the next round".

Queiroz's
men will now face the winners of Group H, with Spain, Chile and
Switzerland all competing for top spot in Friday's evening fixtures.

Ellis Park was first opened in 1928 as a rugby union stadium and then
demolished and rebuilt in 1982. In 1995 it became symbolic of a unified
nation when Nelson Mandela, wearing a South Africa rugby shirt and
baseball cap, presented the rugby World Cup trophy to victorious
Springboks captain Francois Pienaar.

The stadium was also the
scene of the worst disaster in the country's sporting history, with 43
people crushed to death and about 250 others injured in April 2001.

A
capacity crowd were already inside the stadium for the local football
derby between Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates when a further
30,000 fans were reportedly still trying to gain entry. A goal sparked a
further surge which led to the tragedy.

There was further
adversity in January 2007, when high winds blew several advertising
boards on to the pitch during a match between Orlando Pirates and Black
Leopards, striking an assistant referee and several players; none were
seriously hurt. Play resumed seven minutes later, but the match was
ultimately abandoned due to torrential rain and lightning.

The
stadium was named after JD Ellis, a Johannesburg city councillor who
approved the use of the land for its construction. In 2005 it became the
first black-owned stadium in South Africa, and three years later a £30m
naming rights deal was signed, giving the venue the official title of
Coca-Cola Park.

It is home to Orlando Pirates FC and hosted the
2009 Confederations Cup final between Brazil and the USA. The ground was
given a facelift before that tournament, with a new tier on the north
stand increasing capacity by 5,000.

Capacity: 55,686 Built:
1982 (renovated 2009)

12 June, 1500 BST: Argentina v Nigeria
(Group
15 June, 1930 BST: Brazil v North Korea (Group
G)
18 June, 1500 BST: Slovenia v United States (Group
C)
21 June, 1930 BST: Spain v Honduras (Group H)

24 June, 1500 BST: Slovakia v Italy (Group F)
28 June,
1930 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group G v 2nd Group H
3 July, 1930 BST:
Quarter-final

Bloemfontein, FREE STATE STADIUM (1400m)

The stadium's
most famous sporting occasion came during last year's Confederations
Cup, when Spain's 35-match unbeaten run was ended by the USA in the
semi-finals.

Free State Stadium has hosted rugby and football
matches since it opened in 1952. A new stadium was built on the site for
the 1995 Rugby World Cup, with New Zealand thrashing Japan by a record
145-17 in one match at the ground. It hosted seven football matches the
following year for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The venue has been
upgraded to 41,000 capacity with the addition of a second tier to the
main grandstand. Other improvements include new turnstiles, improved
floodlights and the installation of electronic scoreboards.

A
lively atmosphere is all-but guaranteed, as supporters in the sport-mad
city are among the most passionate in the country. The principal tenants
of the stadium are rugby teams Central Cheetahs and Free State Cheetahs
and top-flight football club Bloemfontein Celtic. The city's
international cricket ground is opposite.

Capacity: 40,911
Built: 1952 (renovated 2008)

14 June, 1500 BST: Japan v
Cameroon (Group E)
17 June, 1500 BST: Greece v Nigeria
(Group
20 June, 1230 BST: Slovakia v Paraguay (Group
F)
22 June, 1500 BST: France v South Africa (Group A)

25 June, 1930 BST: Switzerland v Honduras (Group H)

27 June, 1500 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group D v 2nd Group C

Cape Town, CAPE TOWN STADIUM (sea level)

Nestled between
the twin icons of Robben Island and Table Mountain, this £400m (4.4
billion rand) seaside stadium was completed on schedule last December
and has been described by mayor Dan Plato as "one of the most beautiful"
facilities in the country.

Provincial premier Helen Zille had
feared she would not be forgiven if the stadium spoiled the Table
Mountain view. There were also concerns about the spiralling cost - it
is Cape Town's most expensive building ever - while the stadium has
attracted criticism for being located in middle-class Green Point, a
long journey from the city's football-loving townships.

The
stadium's gently undulating roof was designed to ensure it does not
detract from Table Mountain. It has 37,000 square metres of glass
roofing to protect spectators from the elements, while the exterior of
the stadium is covered with noise-reducing cladding to lessen the
disruption to local residents. The fibreglass façade can be lit up at
night so that the stadium resembles a rose-coloured bowl.

The
venue replaces the 18,000-capacity Green Point Stadium, which is the
name the new structure was also initially given during the planning
stage. The stadium includes 13,000 temporary seats, which will be
removed after the World Cup.

The Green Point common on which the
new stadium is built was originally known as "de Waterplaats" (the
waterfront) by Dutch settlers in the 18th century, and hosted sailing
regattas before being reclaimed from the ocean in the early 1900s.

Capacity:
64,100 Built: 2009

11 June, 1930 BST: Uruguay v France
(Group A)
14 June, 1930 BST: Italy v Paraguay (Group
F)
18 June, 1930 BST: England v Algeria (Group C)

21 June, 1230 BST: Portugal v North Korea (Group G)

24 June, 1930 BST: Cameroon v Netherlands (Group E)
29
June, 1930 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group H v 2nd Group G
3 July,
1500 BST: Quarter-final
6 July, 1930 BST: Semi-final

Pretoria, LOFTUS VERSFELD (1214m)

One of the oldest
venues in South Africa, with sport played on the site since 1906. It was
known then as the Eastern Sports Ground and renamed in honour of Robert
Owen Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria's founder of organised sports, following
his death in May 1932.

The stadium hosted matches at the 1995
Rugby World Cup and 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and was where South
Africa's football team defeated a European nation for the first time,
beating Sweden in 1999. Last summer, South Africa's rugby team clinched a
series win against the British and Irish Lions with a last-gasp penalty
in the second Test at Loftus Versfeld.

The first concrete
structure at the venue was built by the city council in 1923, with a
capacity of only 2,000. The basic facilities were initially improved
thanks to a profit made from the All Blacks' tour of 1928, allowing the
construction of changing rooms and toilets.

Since then, the
stadium has undergone numerous upgrades, latterly in 2008 with
improvements made to the floodlights, PA system, scoreboard and roof.

It
is home to one of the country's top rugby teams, the Blue Bulls, as
well as football clubs Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United.

Capacity:
42,858 Built: 1908 (renovated 2008)

13 June, 1500 BST: Serbia
v Ghana (Group D)
16 June, 1930 BST: South Africa v
Uruguay (Group A)
19 June, 1930 BST: Cameroon v Denmark
(Group E)
23 June, 1500 BST: United States v Algeria (Group
C)
25 June, 1930 BST: Chile v Spain (Group H)
29
June, 1500 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group F v 2nd Group E

Nelspruit, MBOMBELA STADIUM (660m)

This is a distinctive
new venue, situated 30 miles from the world-famous Kruger National
Park. The two main features of its design are the 18 orange roof
supports that resemble giraffes, and the black and white seats striped
like a zebra. In keeping with the theme of nature, the stadium's
corridors are painted green, sky blue and sunset yellow and orange.

The
stadium takes its name from the local municipality; mbombela means
'many people together in a small space'. The stadium took two and a half
years to build and will be used for football and rugby once the World
Cup is over.

A new pitch was laid in March after two previous
pitches were ruled, by a Fifa inspection team, to be inadequate. The
venue finally hosted its first game on 16 May when South Africa met
Bryan Robson's Thailand.

There has, however, been an ugly
undercurrent behind the beauty of the £115m stadium, with allegations of
financial irregularities and the murder of a local councilman who had
spoken out against the apparent corruption.

Jimmy Mohlala, the
speaker of the Mbombela municipality, was shot dead by masked men
outside his home in January last year. He had previously prompted
investigations into a range of allegations, including the manipulation
of tenders for work on the stadium.

Prior to that, a high court
judge had blocked an attempt by the municipality to buy the stadium land
from a local clan for one rand. The judge accused the council of acting
like "colonialists who usurped land from naive Africans in return for
shiny buttons and mirrors". They were subsequently ordered to pay over
eight million rand (£700,000).

To add to the roll of shame, there
were violent clashes between police and local people angered by the
failure to adequately replace the two schools which were bulldozed to
make room for the stadium.

Capacity: 40,929 Built:
2009

16 June, 1230 BST: Honduras v Chile (Group H)

20 June, 1500 BST: Italy v New Zealand (Group F)
23
June, 1930 BST: Australia v Serbia (Group D)
25 June,
1500 BST: North Korea v Ivory Coast (Group G)

Durban, MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM (sea level)

Just a few
hundred yards from the Indian Ocean, this new stadium boasts a
distinctive 350m-long Y-shaped arch which mirrors the design of the
South African flag and represents the unity of a diverse nation.

The
ingenuity of the arch, however, lies in its appeal as a tourist
attraction. A cable-operated funicular train ascends to a viewing
platform at the top, 106m above the pitch, from which visitors can
experience spectacular panoramic views of the nearby shoreline and the
city. You can even pay to sit in a bungee harness and swing from the
arch in a 220m arc over the pitch!

The £250m stadium needs to
attract tourists in order for it to be financially viable. It is too
large for the local football and cricket teams, and the Sharks rugby
union club is reluctant to move from its neighbouring ABSA stadium.

The
stadium is named after Moses Mabhida, a humble farmer's son who became
general secretary of the South African Communist Party.

Comrade
Baba, as he was known by his allies, was born near Pietermaritzburg in
1923 into a poor family who were later forced off their land. Mabhida
joined the South African Communist Party in 1942 and rose through the
ranks. He died of a heart attack in March 1986, at the age of 63.

The
new venue staged its first match last November when hosts AmaZulu lost
1-0 to Maritzburg United in the Premier Soccer League. The capacity will
be reduced to 54,000 after the World Cup.

Capacity:
62,760 Built: 2009

13 June, 1930 BST: Germany v Australia
(Group D)
16 June, 1500 BST: Spain v Switzerland (Group
H)
19 June, 1230 BST: Netherlands v Japan (Group E)

22 June, 1930 BST: Nigeria v South Korea (Group
25
June, 1500 BST: Portugal v Brazil (Group G)
28 June,
1500 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group E v 2nd Group F
7 July, 1930 BST:
Semi-final

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth, NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM (sea level)

Situated
on the shores of the North End Lake in Port Elizabeth, this
multi-purpose stadium was the first of the five new venues to be opened,
a year to the week before the start of the World Cup.

It had
originally been earmarked for use at last summer's Confederations Cup,
but was removed from the list of stadia in 2008 amid concerns over its
readiness.

The first competitive game at the stadium was on 16
June 2009, when the touring British & Irish Lions rugby team won
20-8 against a local Southern Kings invitational side.

The £170m
stadium went nearly 50% over budget. This was partly due to the
complexity in constructing the eye-catching roof, which is comprised of a
series of white 'petals' that resemble a sunflower when viewed from
above.

Port Elizabeth is South Africa's fifth-largest city, but
there had never previously been a venue in the area designed to host
top-level football matches.

Capacity: 42,486 Built:
2009

12 June, 1230 BST: South Korea v Greece (Group

15 June, 1500 BST: Ivory Coast v Portugal (Group
G)
18 June, 1230 BST: Germany v Serbia (Group D)

21 June, 1500 BST: Chile v Switzerland (Group H)
23
June, 1500 BST: Slovenia v England (Group C)
26 June,
1500 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group A v 2nd Group B
2 July, 1500 BST:
Quarter-final
10 July, 1930 BST: Third place play-off

Polokwane, PETER MOKABA STADIUM (1310m)

One of five new
venues built for the 2010 World Cup. It replaced an adjacent stadium by
the same name after initial upgrade plans were abandoned in favour of a
new construction. Opened in January, the stadium cost £115m.

The
stadium is named after Peter Mokaba, an anti-apartheid activist who was
born in Polokwane and famed for his fighting spirit and leadership
skills. He died on 9 June 2002, aged 43.

The design of the
largely concrete structure is inspired by the local, iconic Baobab tree,
with the roof supported by columns resembling the tree's enormous
trunks.

Capacity: 41,733 Built: 2010

13
June, 1230 BST: Algeria v Slovenia (Group C)
17 June,
1930 BST: France v Mexico (Group A)
22 June, 1930 BST:
Greece v Argentina (Group
24 June, 1500 BST: Paraguay
v New Zealand (Group F)

Rustenburg, ROYAL BAFOKENG STADIUM (1500m)

The venue for
England's opening World Cup match, against the USA, is named after the
semi-autonomous Royal Bafokeng Nation, a 300,000-strong tribe which owns
shares in the region's platinum mines.

The Bafokeng part-funded
the stadium, which was completed in 1999. The initial cost of £39m more
than doubled with the upgrades required for the World Cup, according to
figures provided by the local government.

The west stand was
enlarged to house 5,000 extra seats and is covered by a cantilever roof,
while new electronic scoreboards, floodlights and a public address
system have been added.

The first football match at the stadium
was South Africa's League Cup final in December 1999, won by Sundowns
against Free State Stars. The venue also hosted the first match of the
British and Irish Lions tour last summer.

Though Rustenburg is
nominally the host city, the stadium is seven miles away in the
unprepossessing small town of Phokeng, the capital of the Royal Bafokeng
Nation.

The Bafokeng acquired legal title to the surrounding
land in the 19th century and won a legal battle against a major platinum
producer in 1999, entitling them to 22 per cent of the platinum
royalties.

King Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi II has subsequently
embarked on major investment in infrastructure, with a particular focus
on sport.

Capacity: 38,646 Built: 1999 (renovated
2010)

12 June, 1930 BST: England v United States (Group
C)
15 June, 1230 BST: New Zealand v Slovakia (Group
F)
19 June, 1500 BST: Ghana v Australia (Group D)

22 June, 1500 BST: Mexico v Uruguay (Group A)
24 June,
1930 BST: Denmark v Japan (Group E)
26 June, 1930
BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group C v 2nd Group D

Johannesburg, SOCCER CITY (1753m)

The
newly-reconstructed stadium is the World Cup's flagship venue. Costing
£290m, its design is inspired by the calabash, a hollowed-out gourd
(similar in shape to a pumpkin) used as a cooking pot or water carrier
throughout Africa.

The calabash is also reflected in the
colouring of the orange and brown membrane that surrounds the stadium,
while a ring of lights will illuminate the bottom of the structure,
simulating fire underneath the pot.

The players' tunnel that
leads from the dressing rooms to the pitch has been built to resemble
the inside of a gold mine, in tribute to the industry that led to
Johannesburg's growth.

The stadium was built on the site of the
historic FNB Stadium. In 1990, more than 100,000 people rallied at the
ground to hear Nelson Mandela, newly released from prison, call for a
unified South Africa. Six years later, the venue hosted the 1996 Africa
Cup of Nations final in which South Africa beat Tunisia.

Work on
the stadium's rebuild started in January 2007, and involved up to 3,500
construction workers, daily. Johannesburg authorities admitted in March
that the project went £90m over budget due to the rising price of
building materials. The stadium is located in the south-west of the
city, close to Soweto.

Capacity: 84,490 Built: 1987
(renovated 2009)

11 June, 1500 BST: South Africa v Mexico
(Group A)
14 June, 1230 BST: Netherlands v Denmark (Group
E)
17 June, 1230 BST: Argentina v South Korea (Group

20 June, 1930 BST: Brazil v Ivory Coast (Group G)

23 June, 1930 BST: Ghana v Germany (Group D)
27 June,
1930 BST: Round of 16 - 1st Group B v 2nd Group A
2 July, 1930 BST:
Quarter-final
11 July, 1930 BST: Final

Back
to top

WORLD CUP 2010 FIXTURES BY GROUP

GROUP A
Teams: France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay

11 June, 1500 BST: South Africa v Mexico (Soccer
City, Johannesburg)
11 June, 1930 BST: Uruguay v France (Cape
Town Stadium, Cape Town)
16 June, 1930 BST: South Africa v Uruguay
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
17 June, 1930 BST: France v Mexico
(Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)
22 June, 1500 BST: France v
South Africa (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
22 June,
1500 BST: Mexico v Uruguay (Royal Bafokeng Stadium,
Rustenburg)

The winners of Group A will play the Group B
runners-up at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The
Group A runners-up will play the Group B winners at Soccer City in
Johannesburg.

GROUP B
Teams: Argentina, Greece,
Nigeria, South Korea

12 June, 1500 BST: Argentina v Nigeria
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
12 June, 1230 BST: South Korea v
Greece (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
17 June,
1230 BST: Argentina v South Korea (Soccer City,
Johannesburg)
17 June, 1500 BST: Greece v Nigeria (Free
State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
22 June, 1930 BST: Greece v Argentina
(Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)
22 June, 1930 BST: Nigeria
v South Korea (Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban)

The
winners of Group B will play the Group A runners-up at Soccer City in
Johannesburg. The Group B runners-up will play the Group A winners at
the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

GROUP C
Teams:
Algeria, England, Slovenia, United States

12 June, 1930 BST: England
v United States (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg)
13
June, 1230 BST: Algeria v Slovenia (Peter Mokaba Stadium,
Polokwane)
18 June, 1500 BST: Slovenia v United States (Ellis
Park, Johannesburg)
18 June, 1930 BST: England v Algeria (Cape
Town Stadium, Cape Town)
23 June, 1500 BST: Slovenia v England
(Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
23 June, 1500 BST:
United States v Algeria (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

The
winners of Group C will play the Group D runners-up at the Royal
Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. The Group C runners-up will play the
Group D winners at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

GROUP
D
Teams: Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia

13
June, 1500 BST: Serbia v Ghana (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

13 June, 1930 BST: Germany v Australia (Moses Mabhida
Stadium, Durban)
18 June, 1230 BST: Germany v Serbia (Nelson
Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
19 June, 1500 BST: Ghana v
Australia (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg)
23 June, 1930
BST: Australia v Serbia (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

23 June, 1930 BST: Ghana v Germany (Soccer City,
Johannesburg)

The winners of Group D will play the Group C
runners-up at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. The Group D
runners-up will play the Group C winners at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium
in Rustenburg.

GROUP E
Teams: Cameroon, Denmark,
Japan, Netherlands

14 June, 1230 BST: Netherlands v Denmark
(Soccer City, Johannesburg)
14 June, 1500 BST: Japan v Cameroon
(Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
19 June, 1230 BST: Netherlands
v Japan (Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban)
19 June, 1930
BST: Cameroon v Denmark (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
24
June, 1930 BST: Cameroon v Netherlands (Cape Town
Stadium, Cape Town)
24 June, 1930 BST: Denmark v Japan (Royal
Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg)

The winners of Group E will play
the Group F runners-up at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The Group
E runners-up will play the Group F winners at Loftus Versfeld in
Pretoria.

GROUP F
Teams: Italy, New Zealand,
Paraguay, Slovakia

14 June, 1930 BST: Italy v Paraguay (Cape
Town Stadium, Cape Town)
15 June, 1230 BST: New Zealand v Slovakia
(Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg)
20 June, 1230 BST: Slovakia
v Paraguay (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
20 June,
1500 BST: Italy v New Zealand (Mbombela Stadium,
Nelspruit)
24 June, 1500 BST: Paraguay v New Zealand (Peter
Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)
24 June, 1500 BST: Slovakia v Italy
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

The winners of Group F will play
the Group E runners-up at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The Group F
runners-up will play the Group E winners at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in
Durban.

GROUP G
Teams: Brazil, Ivory Coast,
North Korea, Portugal

15 June, 1500 BST: Ivory Coast v Portugal
(Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
15 June, 1930 BST:
Brazil v North Korea (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
20
June, 1930 BST: Brazil v Ivory Coast (Soccer City,
Johannesburg)
21 June, 1230 BST: Portugal v North Korea (Cape
Town Stadium, Cape Town)
25 June, 1500 BST: North Korea v Ivory
Coast (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
25 June, 1500 BST: Portugal
v Brazil (Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban)

The winners
of Group G will play the Group H runners-up at Ellis Park in
Johannesburg. The Group G runners-up will play the winners of Group H at
the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town.

GROUP H
Teams:
Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland

16 June, 1230 BST: Honduras
v Chile (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
16 June, 1500 BST:
Spain v Switzerland (Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban)

21 June, 1500 BST: Chile v Switzerland (Nelson Mandela Bay
Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
21 June, 1930 BST: Spain v Honduras
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
25 June, 1930 BST: Chile v Spain
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
25 June, 1930 BST: Switzerland v
Honduras (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)

The winners
of Group H will play the Group G runners-up at the Cape Town Stadium in
Cape Town. The runners-up in Group H will play the Group G winners at
Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

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25Jun2010 - day1

for all the telltrail users:

Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng has revealed that he has not spoken to
his brother, Jerome Boateng, since the Germany defender spoke out about
his tackle in the FA Cup final that ruled Michael Ballack out of the
World Cup.

Beleaguered France coach Raymond Domenech has won
public support following his row with Nicolas Anelka - from his mum
Germaine.

Striker Anelka was kicked out of the World Cup
after launching a foul-mouthed tirade against Domenech.

He
was then expelled before the rest of the squad staged a one-day strike
in sympathy and refused to train.

"I'd like to meet Mr
Anelka and give him a piece of my mind as a mother," Mrs Domenech told
RTL radio.

She added: "It's distressing to be insulted like
that, because he is not just the coach but he is also my son. It's a
double insult to my son and to me as his mother."

Meanwhile,
French bank Credit Agricole SA has suspended a TV advertisement
featuring top French players after the boycott of the training session.

And
fast-food chain Quick is cancelling an advertising campaign with
Anelka.

Posters featuring the Chelsea striker holding up a burger
as if it were a trophy will remain on Paris streets until Wednesday
because there's no way to pull them down faster.

Live pictures
of North Korea's 7-0 thrashing by Portugal were seen by the nation.

"The
Portuguese won the game and now have four points," a commentator said
when the match concluded. "We are ending our live broadcast now."

The
Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station aired only recorded footage of
the team's first group match against Brazil and the last time a North
Korea game was shown live to the nation was the World Cup qualifier
against Iran in June 2009.

It is believed to be a first for
a North Korean football game taking place abroad.

Adidas boss
Herbert Hainer has defended his firm's controversial Jabulani World Cup
ball, saying that players, including Argentina star Lionel Messi, are
getting used to it.

Hainer acknowledges that the Jabulani is
"rounder than any ball we have ever made, more aerodynamic and goes
faster."

This is especially the case at high altitude, he added,
where "the air is thinner and the ball even quicker."

Hainer
added that Messi "needed a little bit of time but he eventually got used
to the ball, even at altitude."

South Africa's Brazilian
coach has picked the wrong players and should be replaced by a
home-grown manager after their expected first-round World Cup exit,
according to former skipper Lucas Radebe.

Radebe, who won
70 caps for Bafana Bafana, said Carlos Alberto Parriera's gamble to rely
on local players rather than experienced performers from overseas
league had backfired.

Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo managed a
full training session on Monday for the first time at the World Cup,
raising the prospect he could play in Thursday's final Group F game
against Slovakia.

Coach Marcello Lippi hopes Pirlo can be fit for
Thursday but has said he is not certain to play.

Brazil
striker Luis Fabiano's second goal against Ivory Coast at the World Cup
was not with the Hand of God as he claimed, says Diego Maradona.

The
Argentina coach scored the original 'Hand of God' goal in a 2-1
quarter-final win over England in the 1986 tournament in Mexico.

"This
one was with his arm, he brought it down with his arm, it's very
evident, I think there was a double handball," said Maradona.

"What's
tragicomic is the referee's smile afterwards. When I scored the goal
against England, I didn't see the referee laugh. He had so many doubts,
he looked at his linesmen, there was no fourth referee at that time, he
looked at the crowd to see if they gave him a hand.

"But on
Sunday, the referee went back to the centre circle laughing and that's
what shocked us all."

Meanwhile, Maradona has dismissed
suggestions he might rest Lionel Messi for Tuesday's final Group B clash
against Greece.

He said: "Lionel Messi always wants to play and I
thought I should give him a break [in training], but if you have a
player as good as Leo, who is the best player in the world, I think it
would be a sin not to give Messi to the people, to the team, and leave
out the player who can certainly make the difference in a match."

Frenchman
Paul Le Guen is favourite to succeed Pim Verbeek as the next coach of
the Australian team, according to reporrts.

Le Guen is
coaching Cameroon and Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy
has confirmed the new Australian national coach would soon be finalised.

Euro
2008 champions Spain have been warned by goalkeeper Jose Reina that
they cannot afford to "live off the past" as they prepare for Monday's
make-or-break World Cup match against Honduras.

He said: "This
side has been playing for five years together, I think we've been doing
things well and doing a good job but we can't live off our past - we
have to prove again more than ever that we can be in that group of teams
who can win the World Cup and we have to recover from the defeat by
Switzerland."

New Zealand Herald correspondent Michael Brown
has called his country's 1-1 draw with Italy "mind-blowing".

He
wrote: "Little, old New Zealand with just 25 professional footballers -
Italy has 3541. A country which had played just four World Cup matches
before this morning drew with one which has won four World Cup titles.
Crazy."

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said of the
result: "The All Whites have surprised everybody and stunned the
footballing world."

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has come
out in support of his Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka after he was
kicked out of France's World Cup squad.

Anelka was sent home
after a verbal assault on France coach Raymond Domenech

Drogba,
quoted on news24.com in South Africa, said: "He has been a team-mate for
two-and-a-half years. Yes, I support him. I wish him good luck, it's a
difficult time for him. He is very strong mentally, he's a competitor. I
was surprised he was kicked out of the team."

Germany legend
Franz Beckenbauer has criticised the France team - only a week after he
launched an attack on England.

In a column for a South
African newspaper, the ex-Germany skipper and World Cup winner said:
"Everyone must have realised that there was something wrong with the
French team following their 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Everyone in the team
seemed to be playing for themselves. They were lifeless."

Beckenbauer
caused controversy last week when he attacked England over their
playing style after the 1-1 draw with the United States.

But
after England's 0-0 draw with Algeria he said: "I am not going to
criticise England this time because all the bigger teams have taken a
step backwards."

Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari has been
reprimanded but allowed to stay with the World Cup team following an
outburst after the 1-1 draw with Australia, the national football
association said.

"Muntari reacted angrily and in a manner that
was offensive to the team's code of conduct in the aftermath of Ghana's
game against Australia," it said.