South Africa 1-1 Mexico
France 0-0 Uruguay
Korea 2-0 Greece
Ghanaweb predicts that Ghana will win the world cup.
The day has finally come for football fans - the world's biggest soccer tournament kicks off later today in South Africa -the first World Cup staged by Africa
Group A rivals South Africa, Mexico, France and Uruguay in action on the opening day of the month-long tournament. Bafana Bafana (The Boys) face Mexico at the 90,000-seat Soccer City stadium in Soweto while France and Uruguay clash later at Cape Town Stadium in the other Group A fixture
32 teams have made it to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, all eager to get their campaign going.
And their road to the coveted trophy begins with the Group Stage.
The teams have been drawn into eight groups of four.
No two teams from the same region are placed in the same group - except those from Europe.
Each team will play each of its three group opponents once.
Teams get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and nothing if they lose.
The top two finishers of each group progress to the next round - the Round of 16.
Now it's possible for three teams to finish on six points each.
If that happens, the two who go through will be determined by criteria such as goal difference, or the total number of goals.
If all else fails, lots will be drawn.
The next stage consists of eight matches, with the Group winners meeting the runners-up from another group.
So teams from the same group will not meet each other in the Round of 16 - but they can meet each other in the later stages.
The Round of 16 also marks the start of the knockout competition.
That means each game must produce a winner.
If a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes of regulation time, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes each will be played.
If the score is still level after extra time, penalty kicks will be taken to determine the winner.
The eight winners from the Round of 16 go through to the quarter-finals.
And the winners of the four quarter-finals will move on to the semi-finals.
The last four will then battle it out for a place in the final.
The losers of the semis will not bow out completely.
They will contest the play-off for third place. But it's often a drab affair.
With nothing to play for, the team managers are likely to field their reserve players.
Instead, all eyes will be on the two finalists.
Come July 11, they will do battle at Soccer City in Johannesburg for World Cup glory.
Group A may be the most competitive of all the groups. France is the most talented team but struggled to qualify for the World Cup, only advancing because of a handball that wasn’t called against Ireland. South Africa will have a raucous home-field advantage.
Advance: France and South Africa
Group B
Argentina
Greece
Nigeria
South Korea
Argentina is the class of this group, lead by star Lionel Messi. The other three teams are similarly competitive but aren’t extremely talented. South Korea has the ability to make a deep run, as it did when hosting in 2002. Nigeria has the advantage of playing on its home continent. Greece should be happy to be in the World Cup, offering a morsel of distraction from the country’s domestic problems.
Advance: Argentina and Nigeria
Group C
Algeria
England
Slovenia
United States
England is the heavy favorite in this group, but its first game is against the United States, and the Americans could surprise the English. The United States also made last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup final in South Africa, beating then-No. 1 ranked Spain and giving Brazil all it could handle. Algeria is on its home continent, and Slovenia beat Russia to qualify, so both could be a surprise.
Advance: England and United States.
Group D
Australia
Germany
Ghana
Serbia
Germany, without leader Michael Ballack, holds a strong case for a deep run in the tournament. Australia switched to the Asian confederation for a more competitive qualifying campaign. Serbia is in the tournament for the first time as an independent nation. Ghana’s veteran-laden squad, mixed with youth who won the U-20 World Cup last year, could be a surprise.
Advance: Germany and Ghana
Group E
Cameroon
Denmark
Netherlands
Japan
The Dutch are an offensive powerhouse. They rolled to an undefeated qualifying campaign and face a rather easy route past the group stages. Cameroon, one of the more hopeful African sides, has one of the world’s best players in Samuel Eto’o. Denmark won its European qualifying group, which included a strong Portugal team. Japan, a perennial Asian powerhouse, is expected to struggle in the group.
Advance: Netherlands and Cameroon
Group F
Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia
Reigning champion Italy didn’t lose a lot of players, but aged a lot, which is worrisome. In a confederation formerly dominated by Australia, New Zealand gets its first crack at the tourney in 28 years. Paraguay has been to four straight World Cups and past group stage twice. Slovakia will make its World Cup debut,and scored 22 goals in 10 matches in qualifying for the tournament.
Advance: Italy and Paraguay
Group G
Brazil
Ivory Coast
North Korea
Portugal
Brazil, the World Cup’s most dominant team, is missing some of the biggest names in soccer. Ivory Coast might be playing without star Didier Drogba. Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo. North Korea is shrouded in secrecy. With three powerhouse teams, this group has been called the “Group of Death.”
Advance: Brazil and Portugal
Group H
Chile
Honduras
Spain
Switzerland
Spain has arguably the most talented squad in the tournament and is a favorite to win the title. Chile finished second to Brazil in the always tough South American qualifying round. Honduras hopes for its first World Cup victory ever, after drawing two games in its 1982 appearance. The Swiss are young and inexperienced, after a deep run in 2006.
Advance: Spain and Chile
Semifinals: Brazil vs. Ghana and Argentina vs. Spain
Finals: Ghana vs. Argentina
Champion: Ghana
South Africa 1-1 Mexico
France 0-0 Uruguay
Korea 2-0 Greece
Ghanaweb predicts that Ghana will win the world cup.
The day has finally come for football fans - the world's biggest soccer tournament kicks off later today in South Africa -the first World Cup staged by Africa
Group A rivals South Africa, Mexico, France and Uruguay in action on the opening day of the month-long tournament. Bafana Bafana (The Boys) face Mexico at the 90,000-seat Soccer City stadium in Soweto while France and Uruguay clash later at Cape Town Stadium in the other Group A fixture
32 teams have made it to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, all eager to get their campaign going.
And their road to the coveted trophy begins with the Group Stage.
The teams have been drawn into eight groups of four.
No two teams from the same region are placed in the same group - except those from Europe.
Each team will play each of its three group opponents once.
Teams get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and nothing if they lose.
The top two finishers of each group progress to the next round - the Round of 16.
Now it's possible for three teams to finish on six points each.
If that happens, the two who go through will be determined by criteria such as goal difference, or the total number of goals.
If all else fails, lots will be drawn.
The next stage consists of eight matches, with the Group winners meeting the runners-up from another group.
So teams from the same group will not meet each other in the Round of 16 - but they can meet each other in the later stages.
The Round of 16 also marks the start of the knockout competition.
That means each game must produce a winner.
If a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes of regulation time, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes each will be played.
If the score is still level after extra time, penalty kicks will be taken to determine the winner.
The eight winners from the Round of 16 go through to the quarter-finals.
And the winners of the four quarter-finals will move on to the semi-finals.
The last four will then battle it out for a place in the final.
The losers of the semis will not bow out completely.
They will contest the play-off for third place. But it's often a drab affair.
With nothing to play for, the team managers are likely to field their reserve players.
Instead, all eyes will be on the two finalists.
Come July 11, they will do battle at Soccer City in Johannesburg for World Cup glory.
Group A may be the most competitive of all the groups. France is the most talented team but struggled to qualify for the World Cup, only advancing because of a handball that wasn’t called against Ireland. South Africa will have a raucous home-field advantage.
Advance: France and South Africa
Group B
Argentina
Greece
Nigeria
South Korea
Argentina is the class of this group, lead by star Lionel Messi. The other three teams are similarly competitive but aren’t extremely talented. South Korea has the ability to make a deep run, as it did when hosting in 2002. Nigeria has the advantage of playing on its home continent. Greece should be happy to be in the World Cup, offering a morsel of distraction from the country’s domestic problems.
Advance: Argentina and Nigeria
Group C
Algeria
England
Slovenia
United States
England is the heavy favorite in this group, but its first game is against the United States, and the Americans could surprise the English. The United States also made last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup final in South Africa, beating then-No. 1 ranked Spain and giving Brazil all it could handle. Algeria is on its home continent, and Slovenia beat Russia to qualify, so both could be a surprise.
Advance: England and United States.
Group D
Australia
Germany
Ghana
Serbia
Germany, without leader Michael Ballack, holds a strong case for a deep run in the tournament. Australia switched to the Asian confederation for a more competitive qualifying campaign. Serbia is in the tournament for the first time as an independent nation. Ghana’s veteran-laden squad, mixed with youth who won the U-20 World Cup last year, could be a surprise.
Advance: Germany and Ghana
Group E
Cameroon
Denmark
Netherlands
Japan
The Dutch are an offensive powerhouse. They rolled to an undefeated qualifying campaign and face a rather easy route past the group stages. Cameroon, one of the more hopeful African sides, has one of the world’s best players in Samuel Eto’o. Denmark won its European qualifying group, which included a strong Portugal team. Japan, a perennial Asian powerhouse, is expected to struggle in the group.
Advance: Netherlands and Cameroon
Group F
Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia
Reigning champion Italy didn’t lose a lot of players, but aged a lot, which is worrisome. In a confederation formerly dominated by Australia, New Zealand gets its first crack at the tourney in 28 years. Paraguay has been to four straight World Cups and past group stage twice. Slovakia will make its World Cup debut,and scored 22 goals in 10 matches in qualifying for the tournament.
Advance: Italy and Paraguay
Group G
Brazil
Ivory Coast
North Korea
Portugal
Brazil, the World Cup’s most dominant team, is missing some of the biggest names in soccer. Ivory Coast might be playing without star Didier Drogba. Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo. North Korea is shrouded in secrecy. With three powerhouse teams, this group has been called the “Group of Death.”
Advance: Brazil and Portugal
Group H
Chile
Honduras
Spain
Switzerland
Spain has arguably the most talented squad in the tournament and is a favorite to win the title. Chile finished second to Brazil in the always tough South American qualifying round. Honduras hopes for its first World Cup victory ever, after drawing two games in its 1982 appearance. The Swiss are young and inexperienced, after a deep run in 2006.
Advance: Spain and Chile
Semifinals: Brazil vs. Ghana and Argentina vs. Spain
Finals: Ghana vs. Argentina
Champion: Ghana
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