Nelson Mandela, 91-year-old former South African president, firmly intends to make a brief appearance at Friday's World Cup opening match, organisers and his family said on Thursday. But World Cup chief Danny Jordaan told reporters the decision on whether Mandela will appear at Soccer City for South Africa's encounter with Mexico would be determined on the day.
The setting is unique but a succession of pre-tournament injuries and the lessons of past World Cups outside Europe suggest the football at Africa's first finals will resonate to familiar Latin rhythms.
Brazil gave a glimpse of the Latin American flair they will bring to the World Cup in South Africa with a 3-0 warm-up win over Zimbabwe on Wednesday, a victory tempered by an injury to goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Earlier, Messi's World Cup-winning team mate Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin award for the world's best goalkeeper.
Ayew strikes as Palace hold Southampton to 2-2 draw
Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's best player and could take Argentina to the final of the World Cup, coach Diego Maradona said.
This, Byju, was the time to apply the business lens, treat your company as a business, run your company as a business. Instead, you splurged, observes Suveen Sinha.
Jordan Murray put Kerala ahead in the 64th minute before Neville's stoppage-time equaliser (90+5) ensured that SCEB extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Before the game, a few protesters handed out fliers outside the stadium where Man City played local outfit Kitchee.
Ghana's Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac is still fuming after Uruguayan striker Luiz Suarez stopped a goalbound shot with his hand on the line in the last minute of extra time in their World Cup quarter-final.
As Vicente Del Bosque's high flying La Furia Roja side get ready to take on Bert Van Marwijk's industrious and effective Oranje at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, rediff.com takes a look at a few players who can make a difference to the eventual outcome.
British referee Howard Webb has been named by FIFA as the man in charge for Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Netherlands at Johannesburg's Soccer City.
A headed goal by defender Carles Puyol carried Spain to their first World Cup final on Wednesday when they beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Ghana's dreams of becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final will depend on their ability to keep at bay the formidable attacking duo which has propelled Uruguay into the quarters. The Ghanaians carry the hopes of a continent hosting its first World Cup, but any burden of expectation is far out weighed by the need to keep a close check on the ability of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez when they meet in their quarter-final tie in Johannesburg.
Give Argentina a two-goal head start and the result will not be in much doubt, as Mexico discovered when a dreadful decision and a defensive mistake smoothed a World Cup quarter-final path for the twice winners. Surging with the self-confidence Diego Maradona seems able to transmit directly from the touchline, Argentina found life absurdly easy for much of a 3-1 win at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Sunday.
A thundering strike on the hour by Germany's Mesut Ozil gave the three-times World Cup winners a 1-0 win over Group D rivals Ghana at Soccer City on Wednesday and a place in the second round.
Brazil coach Dunga faces his former mentor Sven-Goran Eriksson on the touchline when the five-times world champions meet Ivory Coast in a mouthwatering World Cup Group G clash at Soccer City on Sunday.
The first hat-trick of the World Cup finals from Gonzalo Higuain carried Argentina to a convincing 4-1 victory over South Korea on Thursday, putting the South Americans within touching distance of the last 16.
Ivory Coast captain and key striker Didier Drogba, who fractured his forearm 11 days ago, said he was ready to be included in the starting lineup for the match against Brazil later this week.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona will see a familiar foe in the opposing dugout when his side face South Korea in their second Group B match at Soccer City on Thursday.
Strong contenders the Netherlands launched their FIFA World Cup campaign with a scrappy 2-0 victory over a fighting Denmark in their Group E opener on Monday.
Netherlands needed a lucky own goal and a late strike by Dirk Kuyt to get their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 2-0 win over Denmark in their Group E match at Soccer City on Monday.
Hosts South Africa were held to a 1-1 draw in front of almost 85,000 fans at Soccer City in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup on Friday.
South Africa and Mexico are likely to go on the attack in the opening game of the World Cup on Friday, hopefully ending a run of cagey and often dour starts to the finals. Against a backdrop of fevered enthusiasm and the deafening noise of vuvuzelas at Johannesburg's cavernous Soccer City, an entertaining tone for the tournament is likely to be set by two teams who are much better going forward than defending.
The former England goalkeeper ends a 13-year stint with Arsenal.
Newly-formed New York City FC will begin their preparations for their Major League Soccer (MLS) debut with two friendly matches in Manchester next month, Manchester City said on Tuesday.
South Africa re-opened its showpiece Soccer City stadium to a glittering fanfare on Saturday, marking the last of the 10 World Cup venues to display its readiness ahead of the tournament. South African President Jacob Zuma cut a ribbon on the pitch and declared the venue open before the kickoff of the South African FA Cup final.
Pep Guardiola called on the home supporters to give his players their full support
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Russia will host the 2018 World Cup finals in 12 venues spread across 11 cities.
Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer fan, is used to having to leave the grounds to find a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Benzema and Courtois helped Real seal a record 14th European title last season while De Bruyne guided City to the Premier League title -- his fourth crown in seven seasons at the club.
FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke has said that South Africa is still not ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, nearly 100 days ahead of the start of the tournament.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'There might be other opportunities in Asia. We've been looking at India for nearly two years now. I'd say this year we'll end up doing an investment in India'
Manchester City have lodged a complaint with European soccer's governing body UEFA about what they said was racist abuse directed towards striker Mario Balotelli during a Europa League match against Porto.
The Merseyside club have suffered defeats in three of their past four Premier League matches
Argentina skipper Lionel Messi has said that "in principle" last year's World Cup would be his fifth and final appearance.
Real Madrid completed their pre-season tour of Australia with a crushing 4-1 friendly win over a depleted Manchester City in front of a record soccer crowd of 99,382 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Real Madrid and AC Milan led a procession of six teams into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday while big-spending Manchester City failed again on the European stage to further dent English soccer's standing.
