South Africa said they were caught cold by Uruguay's early goal in Wednesday's World Cup clash in Pretoria and found themselves unable to fight their way back into the game.
Centre back William Gallas pulled out of a France training session on Monday with a sore muscle, a team spokesman said.
Football-frenzied fans in India were slow on catching up with the excitement as the FIFA World Cup 2010 kicked off in Johannesburg on Friday. But when they did get into the act, TV-viewership rates shot up from previous highs.
France failed to rise to the occasion again on Friday when a lacklustre performance in a tepid 0-0 draw with Uruguay handed the initiative to their lesser-ranked World Cup Group A rivals.
A draw in Kaliningrad would guarantee the 2010 winners safe passage into the last 16 but to be assured of winning the group they need to win a scoring contest with Portugal, who play Iran at the same time.
Images from Day 3 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Tuesday
Tennis star Aisamul Haq has become the first from Pakistan to reach the semi-finals of any Grand Slam event.
The fixtures of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, from June 11 to July 11.
The fixtures of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, from June 11 to July 11.
Diego Forlan scrambled an early goal to give Atletico Madrid a deserved 1-0 win over a lethargic-looking Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.
Barcelona's star striker Messi is an alien who plays with us humans, says the Juventus 'keeper
Jackson Martinez scored twice as Colombia beat Japan 4-1 to top World Cup Group C with maximum points on Tuesday. The victory earned them a second-round meeting with Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro and ended Japan's interest in the tournament.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hoping for a fairytale ending to his playing career when he leads Netherlands out in Sunday's World Cup final with Spain.
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk put himself in the same bracket as coaching greats Rinus Michels and Ernst Happel when his team beat Uruguay 3-2 on Tuesday to reach their first World Cup final since 1978.
Netherlands playmaker Wesley Sneijder is on course to clinch every trophy he played for this season after the Dutch beat Uruguay in the first World Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Edinson Cavani silenced his critics when he scored four goals in Paris St Germain's 6-0 victory at Caen in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Luis Suarez will only be banned for one match for his hand-ball against Ghana - meaning the striker will be eligible for the World Cup final if Uruguay beat Holland.
Netherlands striker Robin van Persie was taken to hospital on Saturday for a scan on an arm injury three days before their semi-final with Uruguay in Cape Town, coach Bert van Marwijk said.
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.
Paraguay beat Japan on penalties to move into the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday after the match had finished in a goalless stalemate after extra time.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona feels mistreated and persecuted but says he is focussing on his job, family and the support of "ordinary people."
Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan suffered an ankle injury in training on Monday and sat out most of a rigorous two-hour session as Africa's last hopes prepared for Friday's World Cup quarter-final.
Fixtures, results, reports and images from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Eleven people died in northern Senegal as the building in which they had gathered to watch a World Cup tie collapsed, the state agency APS said on Sunday.
Ghana goal hero Kevin-Prince Boateng faces a week of intensive therapy in a bid to get fit for the World Cup quarter-final after suffering a hamstring injury.
Prolific striker Luis Suarez has agreed a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, the Spanish champions announced on Thursday. The Uruguay international will sign the new deal, which will keep him at the club until he is 34 years old and contains a release clause of 200 million euros ($207 million), on Friday. Suarez has scored 97 goals in 116 games for Barcelona since signing from Liverpool in 2014 for a reported 81 million euros ($84 million), and has collected eight major trophies.
World Cup title hopefuls Spain, England and Argentina seized morale-boosting victories in warm-up matches on Wednesday.
Get the latest updates from all the action in South Africa.
South Africa became the first host country in the FIFA World Cup history to crash out in the opening round despite a 2-1 victory over France, who also ended their miserable campaign with 10 men after Yoann Gourcuff was sent off in a Group A match in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
A big win against a scandal-hit France side on Tuesday might not be enough for South Africa to meet a nation's wild expectations but is the only way they might avoid making unwanted history.
Those who suggested France should not be at the World Cup in the first place might allow themselves a smug smile that they will probably not stay very long.
Florent Malouda has had problems with Raymond Domenech in the past but said on Tuesday that reports he had fallen out with the France coach again since the start of the World Cup were not true.
The Indian men's hockey team's biggest gain this year was the emergence of some talented fresh faces.
When the World Cup draw sent both 2006 finalists to Cape Town for their first matches the locals were delighted but having seen Italy and France in action they could be forgiven for wondering what the fuss is about.
Diego Maradona was "in a state of violent emotion" when he made lewd remarks at journalists after Argentina qualified for the World Cup finals, the Argentine Football Association's (AFA) lawyer said on Wednesday.
Lacklustre France failed to turn their superior possession into chances and could ultimately pay a heavy price as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Uruguay in an uninspired World Cup Group A clash on Friday.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona could be banned for several matches and fined for an obscenity-filled outburst at a news conference after Wednesday's World Cup qualifying win over Uruguay. According to article 58 of FIFA's disciplinary code, the sanction could be for a minimum of five matches, prohibit Maradona stadium access for the duration of the suspension and include a fine of at least 20,000 Swiss francs.
Diego Maradona's Argentina finally clinched a place in the 2010 World Cup finals following a tortuous qualifying campaign with a 1-0 away win over bitter rivals Uruguay on Wednesday.
Diego Forlan fired Atletico Madrid into the King's Cup semi-finals on Wednesday when his clinical finish sealed a 2-1 aggregate win at second-division strugglers Celta Vigo.
