South Africa

After a month's engagement with the World Cup, South African President Jacob Zuma is reportedly set to resume his SADC mediation role in Zimbabwe to try and bridge the gap between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has reiterated SA's long-held view and called for international financial institutions to be overhauled to give developing economies a greater say.

Ghana became only the third African side in World Cup history to reach the quarter-finals with a dramatic 2-1 extra time win over the United States at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg on Saturday.

A stunning footed volley from Asamoah Gyan settled the match for the Black Stars, who staved off extensive pressure to win a major boost for the continent.

The South African police have arrested half a dozen people in connection with the weekend shooting of renegade Rwandan General, Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, which the official says was an assassination attempt.

The equation for Nigeria is really quite simple. They need to beat South Korea in Durban on Tuesday and hope that Argentina do likewise in their encounter with Greece, sending the Super Eagles through to the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

South Africa's last chance of avoiding the ignominy of being the first World Cup hosts in history to go out in the first round is against France in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

But even if Bafana achieve the unlikely and handsomely beat the splintered French, there is still no guarantee of progress to the knockout phase.

Cameroon are the first side eliminated from the World Cup, their 2-1 loss to Denmark in Pretoria on Saturday condemning them to an early trip home.

Ghana were left frustrated at the end of their World Cup Group D clash on Saturday, managing only a 1-1 draw against the 10 men of Australia.

Australia took the lead through Brett Holman on 11 minutes, but Asamoah Gyan equalised from the penalty spot after Harry Kewell had handled on the line and been sent to the stands.

Six years in the preparing and making and six days in the crumbling. South Africa’s World Cup fairytale imploded in dramatic fashion at the hands, or rather silky feet, of a Uruguay team on Wednesday, who produced the perfect tactical plan to nullify the home team’s threat.

PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived here yesterday afternoon to join other African leaders for the official opening of the historic Fifa 2010 Soccer World Cup at Soccer City Stadium today.

Nelson Mandela's family was struck by tragedy on the eve of the opening of the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament, forcing him to withdraw from the opening ceremony.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation announced that Mandela had learned on Friday morning that his great-granddaughter, 13-year-old Zenani Mandela, had been killed in a car accident on Thursday night.

Amid a cacophony of sound and colour, South Africa and Mexico drew the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup 1-1 at Soccer City, though both coaches might be ruing not picking up all three Group A points.

FIFA will introduce two additional ticketing products the world football governing body announced on Saturday.

The two products, the "Partially Obstructed View Tickets" and "Premier Tickets", will be available from Monday, June 7 only at the 11 FIFA Ticketing Centres.

With four days to go before the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is more than ready to host the spectacle, says President Jacob Zuma.

"South Africa is more than ready. For us the World Cup has already begun," President Zuma told journalists on Sunday.

THE African continent which many international investors describe as too risky to invest in, loses between US$200 billion and US$400 billion annually in capital flight by firms which make super profits through evading or cheating the taxman.