[size=14pt]GROUP A - GROUP OF THE HOST NATION[/size]



Team                     MP    W    D    L    GD    Pts

South Africa            1               0    1 0 0 1
Mexico               1               0   1 0 0 1
Uruguay             1                 0  1 0 0 1
France               1               0   1 0 0 1

   
FIXTURES


Friday, 11 June 2010
South Africa v Mexico,  15:00
Uruguay v France, 19:30

Wednesday, 16 June 2010
South Africa v Uruguay, 19:30

Thursday, 17 June 2010
France v Mexico, 19:30

Tuesday, 22 June 2010
France v South Africa, 15:00
Mexico v Uruguay, 15:00



SOUTH AFRICA WORLD CUP 2010 SQUAD



Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Shuaib Walters (Maritzburg United)

Defenders: Siboniso Gaxa (Sundowns), Anele Ngcongca (Genk), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth), Matthew Booth (Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates)

Midfielders: Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Lance Davids (Ajax Cape Town), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Kagiso Dikgacoi (Fulham), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)

Strikers: Surprise Moriri (Sundowns), Bernard Parker (FC Twente), Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows)




MEXICO WORLD CUP 2010 SQUAD



Goalkeepers: Oscar Perez (Chiapas), Guillermo Ochoa (America), Luis Ernesto Michel (Guadalajara)

Defenders: Rafael Marquez (Barcelona), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart), Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Salcido (both PSV Eindhoven), Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar), Paul Aguilar (Pachuca), Efrain Juarez (Pumas UNAM), Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Jorge Torres Nilo (Atlas)

Midfielders: Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Giovani dos Santos (Galatasaray)

Forwards: Pablo Barrera (Pumas UNAM), Adolfo Bautista, Alberto Medina (both Guadalajara), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Veracruz), Carlos Vela (Arsenal), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Guillermo Franco (West Ham).



URUGUAY WORLD CUP 2010 SQUAD



Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Juan Castillo (Deportivo Cali), Martin Silva (Defensor Sporting)

Defenders: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Andres Scotti (Colo Colo), Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Jorge Fucile (Porto), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica)

Midfielders: Sebastian Eguren (AIK Stockholm), Alvaro Pereira (Porto), Walter Gargano (Napoli), Diego Perez (AS Monaco), Alvaro Fernandez (Universidad de Chile), Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Penarol), Ignacio Gonzalez (Valencia)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Ajax), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Abreu (Botafogo), Edinson Cavani (Palermo), Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield)




FRANCE WORLD CUP 2010 SQUAD



Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux)

Defenders: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), William Gallas (Arsenal), Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla), Marc Planus (Bordeaux), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon)

Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Abou Diaby (Arsenal)

Forwards: Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)

[size=16pt]South Africa![/size]

Image Subject to change
Copyrights Skysports

PLAYER TO WATCH OUT FOR
Steven Pieenaar
[flash=455,360]http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8470873&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="[/flash]

[size=16pt]MEXICO![/size]


Image subject to change
Copyrights Slysports

PLAYER(S) TO WATCH OUT FOR
Javier Hernandez -
New signing for Man Utd - nicknamed the little key (Chicharito)
Position - Striker


[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zFHsckdwnw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]




Andres Guardado
Club - Deportivo la coruna
Position - Midfield

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_2blkRSI_g&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]

[size=16pt]France [/size]


Image subject to change
Copyrights Telegraph

PLAYER(S) TO WATCH OUT FOR!

Yohan Gourcuff
Club - Bordeux
Position - Midfield

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK1FI54JDHw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]


Florent Malouda
Club - Chelsea
Position - Midfield

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3cx7S-ij_w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]

[size=16pt]Uruguay![/size]


Subject to change
Copyright - Kickoff

PLAYER(S) TO WATCH OUT FOR


Diego Forlan - Liverpool Terminator
Club - Athletico madrid
Position - Striker

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFYgoXHA8Rc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]

Luiz Suarez - Aka by me - Suara
Club - Ajax
Position - Striker

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p71Irt572as&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="[/flash]

South africa

When South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira admitted his side had "a mountain to climb", he wasn't thinking of his side's three Group A games at altitude. When he was originally appointed in 2007, Parreira was charged with improving a side ranked 69th in the world. Given Bafana Bafana now lie 83rd - behind Panama and Albania - it seems he has not been successful. No World Cup host has ever failed to progress from the first group stage, but there is a genuine fear that South Africa could be the worst home team in the tournament's history.
Parreira has found frustrations everywhere he has looked, with training camps in Brazil and Germany failing to provide quality opposition and the team's World Cup base still in limbo as late as March this year. The hope must be that an enthusiastic local crowd and a backdrop of vuvuzela trumpets can galvanise a team that needs all the help it can get. Whether that will be enough remains to be seen.

Aim: To avoid becoming the first host nation to fall at the first group stage.

Source: BBC

France

Favoured by the hand of fate during qualifying, France will need more than good luck to make an impact in South Africa. The 1998 winners have under-performed since reaching the 2006 final and needed Thierry Henry's now infamous handball to qualify for this one. Coached by the unpopular Raymond Domenech, who will quit after the tournament, Les Bleus have their problems. They were emphatically beaten at home by Spain in March and more recently, there has been the scandal involving players being interviewed by police investigating a prostitution network in Paris.
Current champions Italy arrived at the last World Cup caught in the corruption scandal that engulfed Serie A and there would be a certain irony if France were able to draw strength from their own controversial build-up. The French players must unite. "They must be clever and forget their ego to realise that the only thing that matters is the team, not them," Domenech said.

Aim: World Cup finalists last time out, France would probably consider anything less than a semi-final spot a disappointment, despite their woeful qualifying campaign. A potential quarter-final clash with England awaits.

Source: BBC

Mexico

There are a lot of reasons to dream", believes coach Javier Aguirre, and he is not alone. Expectations in Mexico are high that 'El Tri' could produce a historic performance in South Africa this summer. The reasons for optimism are sound. The coach of Mexico's 2002 World Cup side turned to some old heads to rescue a faltering campaign, with Cuauhtemoc Blanco in particular proving an inspired selection.
But it is the country's 'golden generation' of youngsters that has really got fans excited. Andres Guardado, Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Vela are the pick of the bunch. Aguirre's classic blend of youth combined with the experience of Rafael Marquez, Carlos Salcido and Gerardo Torrado is an exciting prospect. Mexico have never managed better than a quarter-final place, but if 'El Tri' can negotiate a tricky-looking Group A, featuring hosts South Africa and past winners France and Uruguay, Aguirre's dream could become a reality.


Aim: To get beyond the second round, a hurdle the North Americans have been unable to clear at the last four tournaments and have never managed on foreign soil.

Source: BBC

Uruguay

A great team in the first half of the 20th century, Uruguay have struggled to live up to their famous history ever since, but they travel to South Africa with the potential to be one of the tournament's surprise packages. While the prospect of lifting the World Cup for a third time following their victories in 1930 and 1950 may be an unrealistic ambition, La Celeste certainly have the players to trouble Group A rivals, France, Mexico and South Africa.
Oscar Tabarez's side is blessed with a mixture of outstanding strikers, young talent and the old Uruguayan fighting spirit. But despite their undoubted talents, Tabarez's men made hard work of qualifying, managing just three wins in their opening 10 matches before redeeming themselves with wins over Colombia and Ecuador to set up a two-legged play-off against Costa Rica. Expectations at home are not high, but Tabarez believes his team will give a good account of themselves in South Africa: "I believe that we can cause a surprise as not much is expected of us."


Aim: In recent years Uruguay have only appeared in the 1990 and 2002 World Cups and they will see the second round as an important achievement.

Source: BBC

i just hope we top our group so we wouldnt have to meet france as that might mean yet another second round exit. am optimistic though.NO SHAKING. UP EAGLES.

Are the match times shown Nigerian time? If not can we have it in Nigerian time pls? Great job man.

Difficult group if u ask me.
France may not qualify if care is not taken judging from their poor form.
Imagine China beating them some days again in a friendly match!

mrjingles:

Are the match times shown Nigerian time? If not can we have it in Nigerian time pls? Great job man.

D1KeleVra:

@lalaboi / chamotex

Please, are the times shown here, the match start times for Nigeria?

Yes . . . . . . It's in Nigerian time

My head says Mexico/Uruguay
my heart says SA/Uruguay.

D1KeleVra:

u dey craze o!

We all know Raymond Domenech is an idiot but he's an idiot who has a rather good set of players at his disposal, who will ignore any idiotic suggestions from their outgoing coach. With the likes of Franck Ribery, Florent Malouda, Yoann Gourcuff, Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry (not a bad option off the bench) at his disposal, even Chris Hutchings could lead this French squad into the knock-out stages. Especially with the kind of 'luck' that got them past Ireland in the play-off.

Usually, you'd give the hosts a decent chance of getting out of their group - especially when they come into the tournament on the back of an unbeaten run stretching back to November - but this South African side is rotten. They stink the place out. The most impressive win from that run was a 1-0 win over Denmark, while draws at home against Jamaica and Namibia hardly suggest France should lose any sleep over facing a team that even failed to qualify for the African Nations tournament this year.

The other qualification spot is a difficult one to predict, especially after Mexico gave England a fright at Wembley. But watch England's first two goals and you'll see exactly why Mexico will not be easing their way through to the group stages in South Africa. Although neat in the attacking third, defensively they're a shambles. Imagine that being exploited by Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, Uruguay's rather handy pair of strikers. Seven goals in two recent games against Switzerland and Israel would suggest that there's goals in them there hills for the South Americans.

views of Sarah Winterburn

Raymond Clueless in your face!!!
Paddy V lifted the world cup
will you even go near it

RESULT


SOUTH AFRICA 1 : 1 MEXICO

_{Tshabalala 55' Marquez 79'}




URUGUAY 0 : 0 FRANCE

^^^I'll find it for you . . . . . will get back to you

the goal by mexico looked like a failed offside trap.

I am really amazed while watching the world cup. I don’t know why but there is something that I can’t explain whenever I watch these kinds of games. It is something like a mixture of tense and excitement. But in any way, let us all congratulate them for being a part of their country’s team. I do hope that they didn’t run at Fastbucks for financing their stay.