Football Club

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New South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane has set out his plan to make sure the team qualify for the next World Cup.

Bafana Bafana only took part in the 2010 tournament as hosts and failed to make it to the knock-out stage.

They did not qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola at the beginning of the year.

Mosimane has called for joint action to help achieve the country’s aims, including co-operation from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL).

“It will take a collective effort for Vision 2014 to be realised,” he said, as he unveiled his plan to take Bafana Bafana to the Nations Cup in 2012 and the World Cup in 2014.

“In the African context it takes an entire village to raise a child – hence my resolve to tap into available resources in our country.”

Mosimane wants PSL teams to limit the number of overseas players in their squads and to help him by releasing players in good time.

He also wants at least two under-23 players to be in the starting line up for all matches taking place in the country.

Mosimane said he wants South African teams contesting regional tournaments to be made up exclusively of under-23 players and the African Nations Championship (CHAN) squad to use players ‘earmarked’ for Bafana Bafana.

Mosimane was assistant coach of South Africa under Carlos Alberto Parreira before being promoted to the top job.

Goal-line technology is back on the agenda after Fifa revealed this World Cup is set to be the last tournament under the existing refereeing system.

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke told the BBC that TV replays showing Frank Lampard scoring a goal against Germany was a “bad day” for organisers.

And Valcke suggested changes will be made before the 2014 World Cup.

“We’re talking about a goal not seen by the referee which is why we are talking about new technology,” said Valcke.

Fifa’s general secretary also suggested that the use of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line – a system trialled last season in the Europa League and set to be used in the Champions League this coming season – might be used in future World Cups.

“Let’s see if this system will help or whether giving the referee an additional four eyes will give him the comfort and make duty easier to perform,” added Valcke.

“I would say that it is the final World Cup with the current refereeing system.”

Although Valcke’s comments will be interpreted as a change of policy by Fifa following the International Football Association Board’s (Ifab) decision to reject goal-line technology and other aids for referees in March, the Fifa general secretary wants the whole approach to refereeing to be reformed.

“The teams and the players are so strong and so fast. The game is different and the referees are older than all the players,” said Valcke.

“The game is so fast, the ball is flying so quickly, we have to help them and we have to do something and that’s why I say it is the last World Cup under the current system.”

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has repeatedly rejected calls for the introduction of goal-line technology or TV replays, insisting an element of human error has always been a part of the game.

Opponents have also pointed to concerns over universality – that all levels of the game should be subjected to the same rules and methods of refereeing.

But following the Lampard “goal” in England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany and Carlos Tevez’s offside strike for Argentina against Mexico in a game the South American side won 3-1, Blatter performed a U-turn, saying that it would be a “nonsense” not to reopen the file on technology.

Ifab – the game’s rule making body which consists of representatives of the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs as well as four representatives from Fifa – is due to hold a meeting on 21 July where the issue is expected to be discussed.

But Valcke said it was unlikely serious discussions would be held until a further meeting scheduled for October.

In March, Ifab heard presentations from two companies pitching to introduce systems which they say provide definitive proof when the ball has crossed the line for a goal.

But both the proposals from Cairos Goal-line technology, which uses a microchip inside a football and magnetic fields around the goal line, and Hawk-Eye, which uses six television cameras positioned around the goal, were rejected.

The Cairos system was tested by Fifa in the World Club Championships in Japan in 2007, but despite their claims that the test was a success, Ifab again rejected the proposal in March 2008.

It was debated again in 2009 but again turned down.

Both Hawk-Eye and Cairos insist cost is not an issue as they offered to pay for the installation of the system in return for a share of sponsorship rights.

Ifab also turned down the chance to introduce the system of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line in time for the World Cup in South Africa.

The Anhangabau Valley in central Sao Paulo, where 50,000 people gathered to see Brazil play the Netherlands, fell silent when the match ended with a Brazilian defeat.

But the silence lasted only for a few moments. The band that was ready to play for the victory party loudly started a popular song whose lyrics go something like: “You’re worth nothing, but I love you.”

Fans at once understood that it was a message to their squad and started to sing and dance.

After all, even in sorrow, this is Brazil.

Home win
 
From the distance it did look like a joyous party but up and close you could see sad, almost desperate faces, struggling to accept that their favourite squad would be back home earlier than hoped.

Expectations are now high for the 2014 World Cup that is going to be played here.

The squad can expect even more pressure.

“Playing at home, we have the obligation of winning,” said lawyer Adriano Antonio, walking away from the giant screen with thousands of other fans.

“I am sure in 2014 we are going to win our 6th World Cup and it’s going to be at home.”

Football is a serious business in Brazil.

People do not accept from the national squad anything short of a victory.

Even a second place would be considered total defeat.

“I just hope now that the Dutch will win the World Cup,” said Mr Antonio.

“At least we’ll have been defeated by the best in the world.”

‘Collapse’
 
Most fans were excited and confident during the first half.

People on the streets agreed with TV commentators that, in the first 45 minutes, Brazil was on its way to an astounding victory.

But everything changed – on the pitch and among fans – when the Netherlands scored their first goal.

“It was a great game on the first half, then everything collapsed,” said bank clerk Tania Armord on her way back to work after watching the match on the square.

All banks shut their doors in Brazil for about three hours for the workers to watch the match.

“The players just couldn’t hold their nerves,” said Ms Armord.

“Maybe it was also because many of them had never played a World Cup?”

Responsibility
 
It is true that the squad assembled by coach Dunga did not have as much experience or big names in it as teams from previous years.

Dunga was strongly criticised for leaving behind famous players like Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, and rising stars such as Neymar and Ganso.

The coach, who had been slowly winning the trust of Brazilians, resigned right after the match ended and is likely to come under a new barrage of criticism.

But in the Anhangabau Valley, fans were talking of shared responsibility.

“It was not only Dunga the problem,” said street-seller Jose Armando, still holding a few Brazilian flags he didn’t manage to sell in time.

“The players did nothing in the second half and we must recognize that Netherlands played better.

“What can we do? This is what the World Cup is about and this time we’ve lost.

“But I am happy that in four years I will see Brazil to be the champion here at home. And I will sell lots of flags.”

Brazil coach Dunga blamed Portugal for what he considered negative tactics after the dismal 0-0 draw which ensured both sides reached the last 16.

Hopes had been high for a display of attacking verve, but both teams tackled cynically and were booed off in Durban.

“I’m not happy,” Dunga said. “We always play to win. We even tried to attack in the last five minutes. Portugal didn’t attack. They just wanted to defend.”

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar added: “Now the hard part begins.”

“It was a difficult group so it was good to finish first. We can’t lose anymore.”

Victories over North Korea and Ivory Coast in their first two Group G matches meant Brazil had already qualified for the knockout stages, though the draw confirmed them as group winners while Portugal secured the point they needed for progression.

But Dunga, who has been heavily criticised by much of the nation’s media for not paying heed to Brazil’s traditionally vibrant attacking style of play, insisted his team possessed the greater ambition.

“The Portuguese team defended from midfield backwards,” he stated.

“It made it difficult to penetrate their defence. We nevertheless had three or four goal-scoring opportunities.”

Portuguese keeper Eduardo was the chief reason for denying Brazil when they did break forward, brilliantly tipping Nilmar’s close-range effort onto the post in the first half before clawing the ball away from his top corner from Ramires’ deflected strike late on.

Real Madrid forward Kaka was suspended and midfielder Elano missing through injury, but Dunga said their absence did not hinder his side.
 
Nilmar hits the post for Brazil
“Kaka and Elano are exceptional players,” the Brazil boss reflected. “But the way in which Portugal played, it would have made it difficult for Kaka and Elano to help us more.”

When asked about the many fouls which littered a match in which seven yellow cards were produced, Brazil captain Lucio replied: “We know both teams had a lot of will to win and went in with a lot of determination and so it happens, one or more severe tackles.

“I think our team tried to play a little more. We knew it would be like that as both teams were qualified.”

Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton, born in Ashington on October 11, 1937, proved to be not only one of the greatest players to play the game but also had a reputation as a true gentleman.

England’s all-time record goalscorer, a World Cup winner and a player who won almost all the game had to offer at Manchester United, Charlton enjoyed a glittering career.

Born into a family of professional footballers – including brother Jack and uncle ‘Wor’ Jackie Milburn – Charlton was spotted playing for England Schools before he signed for United. He made his debut for the club in 1956 to become one of the ‘Busby Babes’ – a group of players who came through the ranks at Old Trafford to win successive league titles in 1956 and 1957.

On February 6, 1958, eight of those players were killed in the Munich air disaster. The squad left Zemun airport after beating Red Star Belgrade before stopping in Germany for refuelling, with the aeroplane slipping off a slush-covered runway and ploughing through a fence and into a house.

Charlton was one of nine players on the plane to survive and was the first of them to leave hospital. It was just over two months later, on April 19, that he made his international debut, scoring a spectacular goal in a 4-0 win over Scotland. In his next game for England, on May 7, he scored both goals in a 2-1 friendly win over Portugal.

Charlton, at 20 years old, already looked a star in the making for his country, but he feels his introduction was premature. “I’d probably been picked for England too soon,” he said. “I think they felt sorry for me because of Munich.”

His next England game brought a return to Belgrade and a disappointing showing in a 5-0 defeat against Yugoslavia and, although he was included in the 1958 World Cup squad, that friendly proved to be his last appearance until October that year. In light of his obvious ability, that lack of game-time raised more than a few eyebrows.

Charlton may not have boasted the natural flair of contemporaries like Pele and George Best, but he still had great talent. “I always found the game easy and never had any difficulty controlling the ball, passing it or running with it,” he has said. If there was an area of his play that could be addressed, he worked at it assiduously. As a youth, he spent about ten hours a day practising in the local park, and he would wear a slipper on his right foot in training to enhance his shooting ability with his left.

He had played as an inside right and then outside left in his early days, and his shooting ability made an attacking role an obvious choice, but he gradually moved further back, where he was able to exert greater influence on the game. Having switched to a position behind the strikers, his pace and shooting ability – allied to his creative gifts – made him an increasingly important figure.

He scored three goals in an 8-1 friendly victory against USA in 1959 and, in amongst qualifiers for the 1962 World Cup, another hat-trick in an 8-0 friendly win over Mexico in 1961. He was firmly established by the time of the ’62 finals, playing every game, but, while he scored in a 3-1 win over Argentina during the group stage, he was powerless to avert a 3-1 defeat to Brazil in the quarter-finals.

It was another disappointing tournament for England, whose sense of superiority saw them opt out of the competition until 1950, but the country knew football would be coming home four years later.

In the intervening years, Charlton’s reputation with Manchester United grew and grew. Sir Matt Busby established a new team following the Munich tragedy, and Charlton was the star at the heart of the rebuilding work. They won the FA Cup in 1963 and the league title in 1965 and, going into the 1966 World Cup, Charlton was the key man for England boss Sir Alf Ramsey. Nobby Stiles, his United team-mate, received criticism for his then-unfashionable role as the ball-winner, but his remit was simple: “My job was to win it, give it to Bobby and let him get on with it.”

The system worked well. After a 0-0 draw against Uruguay in the opener, Charlton got England’s campaign up and running with the first goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico, charging 30 yards with the ball before unleashing a fierce right-footed strike into the top corner. Another 2-0 victory, against France, saw England top the group, and they then triumphed 1-0 over Argentina in a bad-tempered quarter-final.

The semi-final, against Portugal, is often viewed as Charlton’s finest hour. He was a constant menace, probing and creating chances, and scored in the 30th and 80th minutes to make it 2-0. Eusebio pulled one back from the penalty with eight minutes to play, but it was to be Charlton’s day.

In the final, Charlton was unusually subdued. England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time, with hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst emerging as the star of the show, but Charlton was unable to free himself from Franz Beckenbauer’s shackles. Nonetheless, his ability had been such that the Germans had been willing to sacrifice their best player to keep him at bay and, as Beckenbauer himself later said: “England beat us in 1966 because Bobby Charlton was just a bit better than me.”

Charlton beat Eusebio and Beckenbauer into second and third place respectively to take that year’s Ballon d’Or, as well as clinching the World Cup’s own Golden Ball award. He continued to impress in subsequent years, finishing runner-up in the Ballon d’Or in ’67 and ’68 as well as helping his club to the 1968 European Cup.

He returned to the World Cup in 1970, at the age of 32, and England had been confident of retaining the trophy. England made it through the group stages courtesy of 1-0 wins over Romania and Czechoslovakia, but West Germany were to take their revenge in the quarter-final with a 3-2 win after extra-time.

That match was once more viewed as something of a battle between Charlton and Beckenbauer, and popular suggestion has held that it was Charlton’s substitution in the 70th minute that freed up his rival to inspire the Germans’ comeback. Yet Beckenbauer had pulled a goal back to make it 2-1 in the 68th minute and Charlton, seemingly struggling in the Mexico heat, was not the player he had been four years previously.

It was to be his last game for England as, on the plane home, Charlton told Ramsey he no longer wished to be considered for selection. He ended his career with 106 caps and 49 goals, still to be surpassed. Michael Owen has 40 strikes in 89 appearances, while Charlton’s England team-mate Jimmy Greaves hit 44.

Gary Lineker is the player to have come the closest for now, though, retiring one goal short with 48, but he says he is content to see Charlton remain on top. “Bobby deserves to keep the record,” he said. “He was a much better player than me and scored far better goals.”

Nigeria striker Peter Odemwingie has told the BBC he will look to the great Super Eagles performances in the World Cups of the 1990s as he prepares to make his own debut in the tournament.

Odemwingie, who has scored nine goals in 47 games for Nigeria, will be making his World Cup bow six years after first being called up for the national team.

And he said he was inspired by Nigeria’s famous displays at USA ’94 – where they reached the last 16 – and France ’98.

“I remember each and every one of their goals – of Rachid Yakini, Amunike, Amokachi, Siasia, George – I remember all their goals, and the dramatic game against Italy, that we lost 2-1 after leading,” he told BBC World Service.

“I remember France ’98, with the super goal from Sunday Oliseh from almost 40 metres. Great memories, of course, of the Nigerian team performing in the World Cup.

“Now it’s my time to do something for my country and to be remembered as someone who did something great in the World Cup.”

Final emotion

Odemwingie, who was born in Uzbekistan when it was part of the Soviet Union, had the option to play for Russia – but instead chose to play for the country of his father, and was first picked for the Super Eagles in 2004.

However, they unexpectedly failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup after only finishing level on points with Angola – who went to Germany by virtue of having a superior record in matches between the two teams.

South Africa 2010, therefore, represents the 28-year-old Lokomotiv Moscow player’s first chance to shine at this level, despite having secured nearly 50 caps.

He admitted, however, that he would still have to fight to ensure he starts the first Group B match, against Argentina on 12 June – before further games against South Korea and Greece.

“For the last few years, I’ve been one of the key players in the team – but that doesn’t mean that the new coach [Lars Lagerback] doesn’t have his own views,” he said.

“You still have to fight for the shirt, even though it’s not like five or six years ago when I was new in the national team – when I wasn’t confident of being in the 18 or 23 player list for the game.

“Now I am confident that I have proven myself for Nigeria, that I am going to be there. I am looking forward to being in good health, and relate well with the new coach.”

Odemwingie also said he gets “very emotional” after the final of each tournament, when he sees the winning captain hoisting the famous gold trophy.

“I feel the happiness they have, because it’s like a dream come true for everyone,” he said.

“As good as your team is, as big as you are as a star, you still don’t know if you’re going to win it, and if you’re going to hold that cup in your hands. So when I see a big player raising that cup with so much joy, I feel it’s very encouraging – that nothing is impossible.”

Known for his pace, Odemwingie shot to prominence when he scored two goals at the San Siro while playing for Lille against AC Milan in the Champions League.

By the time of the 2010 African Nations Cup, he was captain of the national team, where they got to the semi-finals.

Odemwingie also spoke of his “pride” that Africa was finally hosting a World Cup tournament – and added he felt it would definitely give Nigeria an advantage.

“Africa is Africa – it’s like a happy continent; it’s a colourful continent.

“We will feel more at home, because we will feel the atmosphere still; you know that you are in Africa. At the same time, we will have lots of supporters.

“You have a lot of Nigerians living there, you have those who will travel. I will have my own support – my parents and my sister; her husband; the kids – some friends from Nigeria and some friends from Europe.

“When I look at them sitting there, I will feel like I am not alone. We will have a lot of support, more than in any other country – 20-30,000 Nigerians will travel, and you have 10,000 living in South Africa – so every game will have the feeling of playing a home qualification game.”

And he added he had no doubts that South Africa would put on a good show.

“Last year’s Confederation Cup showed a little bit that it is going to be a good tournament,” Odemwingie explained.

“And that is not even all about it. It is going to be better than that. It’s the proof that Africa has developed – it’s a continent that is running a little bit behind Europe and America, for instance, but this is the proof that it is not stagnant; that things are happening there.

“People have visions, have plans… that’s why they can invite people – the whole world – to come and see how far they have gone in developing their country; they can invite people for such a big tournament.

“It’s a message to the world that we’re here. We’re not on top, but we’re heading there. I think it’s the first shout-out of Africa that we’re coming.”

Close your eyes and try to imagine the scenes of jubilation across Africa if a team from the continent were to win the 2010 World Cup.

A celebration like no other, one billion people revelling in one of the greatest sporting and cultural achievements.

For the first time in its 80-year history, football’s blue riband competition is coming to the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped land.

How better to mark the occasion than with a first African champion?

 606: DEBATE
Not so long ago the mere suggestion that an African team might win a World Cup would have been dismissed out of hand – all of a sudden, the idea no longer seems far-fetched. Could this be Africa’s time?

David O, BBC Sport
“Winning the World Cup would be one of the proudest moments in the history of that country and our continent as a whole,” former South Africa striker Shaun Bartlett told BBC Sport.

“Every African nation has its internal problems but football can do wonders for people and nations, which is a huge incentive.”

Nobody is saying it is going to happen but the groundswell of opinion suggests South Africa 2010 is the best opportunity yet.

Unperturbed by his 1977 prediction that an African side would triumph by the end of the 20th century, Brazil legend Pele genuinely believes it can occur next year.

His namesake Abedi Pele, a former Ghana international, and Liberian George Weah, two of the greatest players to emerge from Africa and still highly influential figures within the game, are equally convinced.

Not only are the six African representatives competing on home soil but they will benefit from an advantage that the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and England will never have – the support of an entire continent.

 AFRICA’S WORLD CUP INVOLVEMENT
Group-stage exit unless stated
1934: Egypt
1970: Morocco
1974: Zaire
1978: Tunisia
1982: Algeria, Cameroon
1986: Algeria, Morocco (last 16)
1990: Egypt, Cameroon (quarter-finals)
1994: Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria (last 16)
1998: Cameroon, Nigeria (last 16), South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco
2002: Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal (quarter-finals), South Africa, Tunisia
2006: Angola, Ghana (last 16), Ivory Coast, Togo, Tunisia
“The idea that one of our sides could win the World Cup is not going too far,” said former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh. “African players perform a lot on emotions and that will be a powerful force.

“When Nigeria played at the Olympics in 1996 we were not playing as Nigerians but as Africans because we had every African country behind us.

“We had this psychological edge and if an African nation gets to the semi-finals on home soil in 2010, I would not want to be in the team who plays against them.”

All but five of the 18 previous World Cups have been won by teams from the host continent, while Brazil’s victories at Mexico 1970 and USA 1994 and Argentina’s triumph at Mexico 1986 were still in the Americas. There is little doubt that home advantage helped South Korea reach the 2002 semi-finals.

Former Charlton forward Bartlett suggested the “spirit inside every African” and the various expatriate communities in South Africa will ensure huge support for each home nation, with fans of one African side rallying behind another once their team has been knocked out.

Yet optimism stems more from the knowledge that, in terms of numbers, quality and experience, this is the strongest set of African nations to contest a World Cup.

Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Algeria and Ghana constitute a fearsome quintet, while South Africa will be desperate to avoid embarrassment on home soil.

Ivory Coast are viewed as having the most talented squad but much will also be expected of Ghana following their impressive World Cup debut in 2006 and Cameroon, revitalised under ex-Rangers coach Paul Le Guen and making an African record sixth appearance in the finals.

Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa – the only African team who will be seeded – might be less fancied but all three are capable of reaching the knockout phase.

“African teams have matured a lot, they no longer want to go to competitions to make numbers; they want to make an impression,” stated Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.

“The difference between the teams from African and European countries is no longer vast. In the past, African teams were taken for granted in big tournaments but this time it’s going to be different.”

Since Zaire became the first African nation to qualify for a World Cup in 1974, the continent can lay claim to only two quarter-finalists – Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.

 INDEFENSIBLE
 
Late goals conceded in 2010 World Cup qualifying
Algeria: Four goals conceded. One in the 86th minute, one in the 95th
Cameroon: Two goals conceded. One in the 90th minute
Ghana: Three goals conceded. One in the 89th minute
Ivory Coast: Four goals conceded. One in the 78th minute
Nigeria: Four goals conceded. One in the 89th minute
So what makes them better equipped in 2010? Increased experience, maturity and tactical awareness are sure to play a part but, above all else, Oliseh points to the number of Africans now mixing it with the best on a weekly basis.

“Nothing boosts a player more than playing at the top level each week and winning titles,” added the ex-Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who rose to fame with a stunning goal for Nigeria against Spain at France 1998. “A lot of African players have won titles in the last four years.

“Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure won the Champions League with Barcelona and Didier Drogba and Michael Essien reached the previous final with Chelsea.

“They know what it takes to win at the very highest level of club football. If they can bring that mentality to their national sides they will be hard to beat.”

All six of the African teams have their weaknesses – Bartlett mentions “poor goalkeepers”, “occasionally catastrophic defending” and “a tendency to concede late goals because they can’t concentrate for 90 minutes” – and a lot will depend on their ability to stay injury-free, especially with January’s Africa Cup of Nations looming in Angola.

Yet that tournament will provide five of them (South Africa failed to qualify) with competitive game time to work on their plans – something that no other nation will benefit from between now and 11 June.

Which is just as well because South Africa 2010 promises to be one of the most fiercely contested World Cups to date, with every past champion in attendance and no genuine contenders missing.

The fact that no African team has gone beyond the quarter-finals does not bode well and they will be praying that Friday’s draw treats them kindly.

At Germany 2006, the Ivory Coast were pooled with Argentina and the Netherlands and Ghana reached the round of 16 only to be pitted against five-time champions Brazil.

Good fortune also evaded Senegal in 2002 as they were eliminated on the golden goals rule and Cameroon in 1990 after they succumbed to England after two controversially awarded penalties. Serious question marks also surrounded Germany’s 1-0 victory over Austria that knocked out Algeria in 1982.

“If the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon have good draws and a bit of good fortune I can see them going as far as the semi-finals,” commented Bartlett. “After that, the team who plays better on the day will go through so anything could happen.”

 
If you look at the way they play, the quality of their squad and the teams their stars play for, it’s clear the Ivory Cost could do the unthinkable by winning the World Cup

Former South Africa striker Shaun Bartlett
Although the altitude at Johannesburg’s Soccer City could favour the Africans, this will be the first winter World Cup since 1978 so cold temperatures should make for neutral footballing conditions.

That will contrast sharply with the weather in Angola during the Cup of Nations, increasing the need for thorough and well-organised preparation – a lack of which has seriously damaged the African challenge in years gone by.

“There have always been problems off the pitch which prevent our teams from having that extra edge to go further,” divulged Oliseh.

“In 2002 it took Cameroon two days to get to their base; they were the last team to arrive in South Korea. There were so many administrative problems, with things like travelling, flights and player bonuses, that the players weren’t focused enough to win.”

Bartlett added that “one or two African teams will still be fighting over money when the tournament starts, organisation is a huge issue”.

If they manage to avoid such problems, we could be in for an absolute treat.

African nations have been punching above their weight for some time, their progress severely hampered by poverty and a lack of resources.

After battling against the odds for so long, who would begrudge one of their captains holding aloft the FIFA World Cup trophy at Soccer City on 11 July 2010?

North Korea will not be preparing for the World Cup finals with a visit to Zimbabwe, ending fears over a potentially controversial trip.

The Zimbabwe government had suggested the Asian side would stop in the country on their way to South Africa.

That sparked protests in Matabeleland, where rights groups say a North Korean-trained army unit killed thousands of people during the 1980s.

But the government now say they have heard nothing from the North Koreans.

“I will check on the progress of the North Korea team but I don’t think that they will stop in Zimbabwe,” Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi said.

Sports Minister David Coltart added he no longer expected the North Korea team to come.

The country’s football association, Zifa, said it had never invited the team to come and train.

North Korea are expected to play Greece, DR Congo and Nigeria in the build-up to the World Cup – they are in Group G along with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

Kaka is confident he will be in great physical condition when Brazil begins its bid to win a sixth World Cup title in South Africa.

Kaka arrived in Brazil on Tuesday saying the injuries that kept him from playing several matches with Real Madrid this season will not bother him in next month’s World Cup.

The playmaker says he will be fully fit by the time the competition begins on June 11.

“The medical team will evaluate my condition, but I’m fine, no problem,” Kaka told local reporters as he arrived. “I’ll be 100 percent.”

A former FIFA player of the year, Kaka endured a groin problem and a thigh injury through parts of season and failed to play at his best.

“It was a tough season for me,” Kaka said. “But there is a lot of time until the World Cup for me to get ready. We have examples of players who were not physically fit going into the World Cup but eventually played well, so it’s not a concern.”

The 28-year-old Kaka was sidelined for 45 days at one point and played sparingly with Real Madrid when he returned to action.

One of Brazil’s doctors, Luiz Rosan, told local media that Kaka is not having problems related to the groin injury anymore, and that the thigh ailment is not major.

The playmaker is expected to be one of Brazil’s main leaders in this year’s World Cup, along with Robinho and veteran defenders Juan and Lucio.

Kaka was a member of the Brazil team that won the World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan, and one of the main players when it was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Kaka’s Brazil teammate Luis Fabiano also arrived in Brazil on Tuesday and also downplayed the injury that is keeping him from playing with Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.

“It’s a minor injury, but I didn’t want to risk aggravating it,” Fabiano said. “I won’t be fully fit by Friday, but in two weeks I should be fine.”

Both players will be evaluated and treated at the Sao Paulo club before reporting to Brazil’s national team on Friday.

Brazil will practice for about a week in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba before heading to South Africa on May 26. The five-time world champions will play against North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal in Group G.