i World Cup

Kevin-Prince Boateng believes the key to Ghana’s World Cup success is that the squad is like a big, happy family united by the power of prayer.

The Portsmouth midfielder, who was born and brought up in Germany, has been impressed by the strength of the bonds between the players since he opted to play for his father’s homeland.

“There is a great spirit in the team. It is like a big, big family,” Boateng said on the eve of Ghana’s second group D match, against Australia.

“I’ve not been here a long time but I already feel like a member of the family,” he added. “We pray a lot, there is a big, big spirit and we take that spirit on to the pitch.” @Soccerway

Host nation South Africa were left facing the prospect of an early World Cup exit after slumping to defeat at the hands of a Diego Forlan-inspired Uruguay in Pretoria tonight.

Forlan scored Uruguay’s opening two goals, the first a deflected 25-yard effort and the second from the penalty spot late on after an incident which saw home goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune sent off.

Alvaro Pereira than wrapped up a deserved victory for dominant Uruguay in stoppage time as the South Americans moved onto four points in Group A and within touching distance of a place in the last 16. @Independent

While members of the United States Men’s National Team find themselves secluded from reality as they prepare for Friday’s crucial match with Slovenia, they can’t help but notice the World Cup fever overtaking South Africa.

“You see it on TV. You see the smiles on everyone’s faces. No one is having a bad day in South Africa for a month, basically,” DaMarcus Beasley said during a Wednesday afternoon media session. “They forget about all the hardships they’ve gone through and just enjoy the World Cup, [and] seeing their idols on TV, some of whom are with them in the hotels. From the outside looking in, they are always smiling and always waving.

“Stuart Holden agrees with his teammate. @Goal

On a national public holiday to commemorate the day the brutality of the apartheid regime reverberated around the globe, the World Cup hosts will today have an opportunity to make their own history by securing second-round qualification.

Youth Day commemorates the 1976 Soweto uprising. Protests by more than 20,000 pupils ended in more than 700 deaths including that of Hector Pieterson, captured in an iconic photograph. “Tomorrow is important, especially for the youth,” said the South Africa captain, Aaron Mokoena, following his team’s final training session at the Lotus Versfeld ground in Pretoria, a rugby stronghold. “It is a really special day for everyone and it would be great to win for everyone on the day. It’s a day South Africa always remembers, the 16th means a lot.” @Guardian

Former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson has claimed that his new job as coach of the Ivory Coast is more fun than his five years working for the FA.

Eriksson has managed at Manchester City, Mexico and now with the Ivory Coast since leaving his post with England after guiding them to the last eight of the 2006 World Cup.

And asked after yesterday’s drab 0-0 draw with Portugal in Port Elizabeth what the difference is between managing England and working with an African team, he revealed that he is simply enjoying himself more. @Dailymail

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz hinted on Tuesday that Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba had benefited from special treatment which allowed him to play with a protective cast on his broken arm.

Drogba fractured his right arm on June 4 but was given permission to come on as a second half substitute in the World Cup Group G tie which ended 0-0 after receiving special authorisation from match referee, Jorge Lorrianda of Uruguay.

The Chelsea attacker’s arrival on the pitch wearing a protective cast almost tipped the game in Ivory Coast’s favour as he went close to snatching an injury time winner at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.

Drogba was cleared to play at a meeting on Monday evening involving Lorrianda and officials from FIFA, Ivory Coast and Portugal. @Soccerway

They are known as the Big Five in South Africa: the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Each implies power. Into this tonight come the canarinhos, the little canaries.

It does not sound like a fair fight, it’s just that canarinhos is only one nickname for mighty Brazil. Having won World Cups in Europe, South America, North America and Asia, they are interested in bagging a Big Five of their own on the continent of Africa.

Kicking off against North Korea in Ellis Park in downtown Johannesburg makes for an unlikely start to Brazil’s South African safari and in terms of Brazil’s potential, we may not know a great deal more at the final whistle. @Dailymail