Reader Anil Desai sent us these photographs from the World Cup in South Africa.
Lukaku's comments on being unhappy at Chelsea 'unhelpful': Tuchel
FIFA on Thursday announced that tickets for the 2010 World Cup to be played at Soccer city on Sunday has been sold out.
Qualifiers Spain and the United States suffered blows in friendlies, the world champions beaten 1-0 by eliminated South Africa on the SoccerCity pitch where they clinched their 2010 crown and the Americans losing 1-0 away to lowly Austria.
South Africa's friendly win over Spain last week will be considered a full international despite the world and European champions fielding more than the permitted number of substitutes, soccer's governing body FIFA said on Thursday.
Nigeria ended almost two decades without success and returned to their role as a continental heavyweight after edging Burkina Faso 1-0 in the African Nations Cup final on Sunday.
Rampant Nigeria and impressive Burkina Faso will meet in the final of the African Nations Cup at SoccerCity in Johannesburg on Sunday after two highly dramatic if contrasting semi-final victories on Wednesday.
Images from the FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and South Korea, in South Africa, on Thursday.
Less than one year after Spain beat the Netherlands to win the World Cup, the circus starts again on Wednesday although the opening match of the 2014 qualifying tournment will cause barely a ripple. Tiny Montserrat, who have won only two international matches, is scheduled to face Belize on neutral territory in a match which will be a far cry from last year's game at Soccer City, watched by an estimated 700 million television viewers.
South Africa's dramatic improvement over the last six months, Mexico's new-found self belief and France's erratic build-up will make Group A one of the closest fought in the opening stage of the World Cup.
A World Cup soccer final disfigured by cynical Dutch thuggery was partially redeemed in extra time by the swift reflexes of Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta.
Spain gloried in a first World Cup triumph that finally buried their decades-old tag of international underachievers, but it was more agony for the Netherlands after a third defeat in the final.
Pragmatic Germany had to revert to old-school tactics to see off an outstanding Ghana team 1-0 on Wednesday and reach the second round of the World Cup.
A few hundred soccer fans were stranded in Johannesburg on Monday after the Netherlands-Denmark game in Soccer City when bus drivers went on impromptu strike.
The World Cup is not the only soccer tournament reaching its climax in Johannesburg this weekend. Amid the corrugated iron shacks and slum housing, where the young Nelson Mandela once lived, two groups of teenagers will face off in the deciding match of 'Football for Hope', a five-a-side tournament running alongside the World Cup.
World renowned musician Shakira said on Saturday that her performance in the World Cup closing ceremony would be a tribute to African women.
From a modest start, as player and coach, Bert van Marwijk built success with Feyenoord before taking over a promising Netherlands side following their disappointing quarter-final exit at Euro 2008.
Millions of African fans mourned the agonising exit of Ghana, their last hope for World Cup glory, while four more nations stepped up to battle on Saturday for the remaining longed-for semi-final berths.
Carlos Tevez struck twice as Argentina set up a rematch of their 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals with Germany, beating Mexico 3-1 in their second round match in Soccer City on Sunday.
Diego Maradona clambered over reporters at a packed news conference on Saturday to embrace friend and former Napoli team-mate Salvatore Bagni before saying his Argentina team should beat Mexico at the World Cup.
A blast was heard across Johannesburg on Sunday followed by a plume of smoke, visible from the Soccer City where World Cup matches are being played, but South African police said it was a routine test.
Maradona had overlooked Higuain for a long time even when he was in brilliant form for Real Madrid. The coach was sceptical about the striker's commitment to Argentina after he turned down the chance to play for the under-20s at the 2007 Youth World Cup. However, with the noose around his neck as Argentina struggled in the qualifiers, the talismanic coach called up Higuain for the last two in October and 'Pipita' did not disappoint with two good performances and a goal.
South Africa woke up with a smug satisfaction on Saturday despite only drawing in the opening World Cup match.
Drummers and dancers wowed fans at South Africa's Soccer City stadium in a glittering prelude to Friday's World Cup kickoff, but Nelson Mandela's absence after a family tragedy cast a cloud over the party.
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 once inconceivable notion of a World Cup played on African soil, in ultra-modern stadiums beamed live to soccer fans in all corners of the globe will become a reality on Friday.
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.
It is time for Spain to take their place at the top of world soccer by beating the Netherlands in Sunday's World Cup final, midfielder Xavi said on the eve of the clash.
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.
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.
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.
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