Emotions are running high for a proud country given 6 years to prepare for the 2010 World Cup. As the country that served an apartheid ban from FIFA until 1992, South Africa has progressed extensively since that year to achieve the unthinkable—they've become the first country in Africa to host a FIFA World Cup.

Soccer City at Night

South Africa takes on Colombia this evening at Soccer city. Yes, Bafana Bafana vs Colombia is going put 70 000 people in the newly refurbished stadium and the rest of the nation glued to their television sets.

Kickoff is at 8.30 tonight, when the 34th-ranked nation in the world, Colombia takes on Bafana Bafana, who are now ranked 83 ( up seven places).

By Jordan Beard

With 48 matches about to take place in the group stage of the World Cup, one must focus his viewing on a select few. Well, not "must", but rather "might have to". Of the 8 groups in South Africa, here are my top matches to look out for in each group.

Safa have just announced that an Iron on Protea badge will be available for the Bafana Bafana replica jerseys for R20.

OK the whole Bafana Bafana jersey controversy has been bubbling over since the day that Adidas revealed the new 2010 Bafana Kit. We have ended up with three different versions of the jersey, all selling for different amounts.

Siphiwe Tshabalala unstoppable left foot shot into the top corner of Mexico's goal was not enough to give the Bafana Bafana three points. Rafa Marquez cool finish ensured that Mexico's late push for an equalizer would be rewarded. South Africa started nervously against Mexico at the Soccer City Stadium but eventually got a grip in midfield and that allowed the hosts to gain control of the match.

Listo, por fin después de años de espera llegó el Mundial. México, después de toda la expectativa, terminó empatando 1-1 (como yo dije xD) ante el anfitrión, y creo que hay muchas cosas por decir, las dividiré en puntos.

LA DUDA DEL RESULTADO

Yo decía que ningún resultado para México me sorprendería, y menos aún si fue el resultado que creí iba a ser.

With one round plus one game of the group stages complete, it's a good time to take a look at South Africa 2010. While the buzz of the vuvuzleas and the lack of scoring have dominated the conversation, a number of other compelling story lines are emerging.
South America is deep: Brazil and Argentina always grab the headlines, but this year's teams from South America are as talented as any in recent memory.

Ithumeleng Kune - Red Card Woe

Bafana Bafana vs Uruguay ended in a 0 – 3 to South Americans in an icy cold Pretoria last night with Diego Forlan and his strike partner Luis Suarez emerging as heroes.

When Switzerland beat Spain yesterday afternoon, it should have been a sign that the soccer gods were in an upside down mood.

German NT coach Joachim Loew does his best Miami Vice impression on the touchline during Germany's 4-0 victory over Australia in Durban, South Africa. Image via Daylife/Getty.

We love our silver foxes here at Kickette. We love it even more when they dress (almost) better than we do. Touchline attire usually falls into one of two categories: dapper or dour.

In 1998, as the French team prepared to play their first World Cup match, they heard singing from the opposing team's locker room. The Bafana Bafana in their first World Cup appearance after the end of apartheid, fielding an integrated team were gearing up to play with song, and as the two team's marched down the tunnel out onto the pitch, they continued singing, sending echoes through the halls.

one game — one goal

The hype machine is running on max right now for 17 yr old Juan Agudelo, the Colombian-born Red Bulls striker who came on with 30 minutes left in today's friendly against S. Africa, and scored a beautiful goal to win the match for the USA.

CultFootball first picked him out a few weeks back, when we critiqued his play in the Red Bulls loss to the Earthquakes:

The real standout in the losing effort was 17 yr old Juan Agudelo.

Well it looks like Carlos Alberto Parreira is making headway with Bafana Bafana. They managed to score three goals at Moses Mabhida Stadium against Zimbabwe last night.

Bafana Bafana Magic

Although the game was no walkover for the South African National team, there were certainly moments of sheer Bafana magic.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup less than 4 months away, its time to breakdown the 32 teams that will be participating in The Great Tournament. First up is the host nation, South Africa.
Official Name: South African Football Association
Nickname: Bafana Bafana
FIFA Confederation: CAF (Africa)
FIFA Code: RSA
How They Qualified: Host Nation
World Cup Appearances (Incuding 2010): 3rd
Best WC Finish: Korea/Japan 2002, 1 Win - eliminated Group Stage
World Cup Record (MP: Wins - Draws - Losses): 6: 1W - 2D - 3L
Head Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
Most Capped Player (# of caps): Aaron Mokoena (99)
All-Time Goal Scoring Leader (# of goals): Benni McCarthy (35)
Brief Footballing History:
South Africa wass one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football in 1956.

More than one team is contemplating a World Cup with difficulties in the left back area, according to the first guest blogger on World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010. Let's find out what's happening in the US courtesy of Kevin Koczwara from The Soccer Guys.
This week the US took on The Netherlands in possibly its toughest test until the World Cup itself.

Bafana Bafana 2010 Away Jersey

Went online to look for Bafana Bfana jerseys. No if you want to buy a Bafana Bafana Jersey, you need to know there are three kinds of Yellow Jerseys ( besides the ladies and children and standard version)

• Safa, Adidas and Protea
• Safa and Adidas logos
• Adidas logo

The one with three logos seems to be the most expensive.

A seleção da África do Sul disputa nesta quarta-feira um jogo amistoso contra a Jamaica, o último de sua concentração na Alemanha, que servirá para o treinador Carlos Alberto Parreira seguir tentando minimizar as limitações dos "Bafana Bafana", fazendo-os a revelação da Copa do Mundo.

A la par de la presentación de la penúltima lista de convocados de los "Bafana Bafana" , Carlos Alberto Parreira declaró que es una pena que pocas selecciones quieran medirse ante su combinado nacional.

"Digo la verdad, hemos trabajado muy duro en Alemania para obtener que sólo un equipo de Primera División juegue con nosotros.

According to Sowetan, City of Johannesburg 2010 executive director Sibongile Mazibuko said the SA National Roads Agency had agreed to open the link between the highways for tonight's Bafana Bafna vs Columbia game at Soccer City.

Motorists travelling south on the N1 would be able to take a new off-ramp called N17, she said.

Anche Carlos Alberto Parreira ha preso le ultime decisioni. Veniamo a conoscenza infatti, in queste ore, delle convocazioni ufficiali per quanto concerne il Sudafrica e i 23 che disputeranno, da padroni di casa, il Mondiale in programma a partire dall'11 giugno prossimo.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has announced his 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. South Africa will play Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg on 11 June.

After the training camps and fitness regimes and international friendlies, the coach has cut the Bafana Bafana squad to the regulation 23-man squad.

"I have a gut feeling"

Feverish activity on the last day to name the final 23.

Carlos Alberto Parreira names his SA squad and its highest scorer is not in it. Benni McCarthy joined training looking distinctly chubby, like Ronaldo, four years ago. Apparently his slim fast regime was not fast enough.

Benni McCarthy is probably South Africa's greatest ever striker. The Cape Town born striker is Bafana Bafana's all time top goalscorer with either 35 or 31 international goals (depending on who you read) and also one of the more experienced players, having spent time in the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and English leagues and played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

SOUTH AFRICA The ‘Bafana Bafana' boys have the honour of homefield advantage, and if the 2002 tournament taught us anything, it's that the host nation must be allowed a good run – even if that means bending the rules (just ask Spain and Italy). Without assistance from the officials, South Africa might find it tricky to [.

France
Nickname: Les Bleus. They wear blue. Nobody said that they were imaginative.
FIFA ranking: 9
How they got here: Finished second in their qualifying group, and then won a playoff against Ireland thanks to Thierry Henry's hand.
Record in previous tournaments: Won the whole shebang for the first and only time in 1998.

It's almost here! Two days away!
First game of the 2010 World Cup?
Mexico vs. the host country South Africa!
A preview by Yahoo Sports by Nicolino Di Benedetto ...

Hosting the World Cup already has South Africa feeling proud, but translating those emotions into results on the field might be a problem.

Los Bafana Bafana nos sorprendieron. La Selección Mexicana dio un buen partido al inicio pero poco a poco al no conseguir el gol que abriera la puerta, se fue desibujando, Gio y Salcido dieron muy buen juego, Guille no mostró buen nivel.
Tras el primer gol de juego anotado por Sudáfrica, la Selección Mexicana terminó desdibujada, sin orden y muy débil a la defensa, dando campo abierto para que Sudáfrica aplicara perfectamente la descolgada que fue lo que le dió el gol.

It appears that the vuvuzela horns have finally been silenced.

Not because FIFA stepped in and confiscated the annoying instruments, but because of Bafana Bafana's unfortunate performance earlier today against Uruguay. The hosting nation struggled to find any positive pace over the course of the 90 minute match and following a late penalty that saw their keeper sent off for a rough tackle, the match and the tournament was likely over for the African squad in a matter of moments.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was Youth Day in South Africa, the stadium in Pretoria was loud with vuvuzelas and the Bafana Bafana players were singing (surprisingly melodiously for a in the tunnel. The table was set for a South African victory, but Uruguay ate the hosts for dinner instead.

By Eric Beard

I know, there's one more game left to be played. But now that South Africa are sitting in last place of Group A with 1 point and a -3 goal differential, the Bafana Bafana, sadly, are finished. It was a tough match to watch because, like most neutrals, I am cheering on all of the African nations in this World Cup.

By Eric Beard

I know, there's one more game left to be played. But now that South Africa are sitting in last place of Group A with 1 point and a -3 goal differential, the Bafana Bafana, sadly, are finished. It was a tough match to watch because, like most neutrals, I am cheering on all of the African nations in this World Cup.

Watching the Bafana Bafana vs Uruguay match at the Fan Park on the Durban Beach front, and then the Germany vs Australia and Switzerland vs Spain matches in the Moses Mabhida Stadium, guest blogger and photographer Matthew Savides gives us a look at two days of World Cup Soccer

Silence.

LUCAS RADEBE Y ZINEDINE ZIDANE ESPERAN EL PARTIDO DECISIVO
EN EL GRUPO A ENTRE FRANCIA Y SUDÁFRICA
Johannesburgo, Junio 21 de 2010 – El día de hoy, el antiguo capitán francés y jugador FIFA del año,
Zinedine Zidan y el ex capitán Bafana Bafana Lucas Radebe esperan el partido decisivo entre sus
respectivas selecciones Francia y Sudáfrica.

Hosts South Africa grabbed their first win of the 2010 World Cup by defeating France 2-1 but it failed to put them through to the second phase.

'Bafana Bafana' gave their fans the perfect gift in the 20th minute when central defender Bongani Khumalo nodded home from a Siphiwe Tshabalala corner.

South Africa hosts Ghana for a friendly at Soccer City on Wednesday the 11 th of August 2010. A match up between Bafana Bafana and the Black Stars is maybe not what new coach Pitso Mosimane wants right now.

But Mosimane is a brave man and he tells football365 that "upcoming friendly against Ghana will provide a true indication of how far the national team has come.

WEll it seems as if there is a complication with the matter of the ticket sales for the friendly between South Africa and Ghana on 11 August at Soccer City.

According to the Safa Website : South Africa hosts Ghana at Soccer City on Wednesday the 11 th of August 2010.

As I sat in front of the box a few minutes ago to enjoy the Battle of Freetown a crucial 2012 Afcon qualifier between Sierra Leone and South Africa national broadcaster SABC tells us that it is not showing the match. According to news reports, 'It had emerged on Friday that the SABC had not yet made plans to ensure the game in Freetown would be televised'.

The U.S. National Team is ready to travel back to South Africa, this time to face Bafana Bafana in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup. As of Thursday, Bob Bradley has announced the squad of 18 that will be heading to Cape Town. Let's take a look:

The two goalkeepers who will be going with the squad are Brad Guzan of Aston Villa and 24 year old Dominic Cervi, who currently is a reserve over at Scottish giants Celtic.

adidas and the South African Football Association have launched the South Africa national football team jersey to be used by Bafana Bafana as their away or alternate kit during FIFA World Cup 2010. South Africa's adidas World Cup 2010 home kit was launched in November of 2009. Notable features of the South Africa adidas World Cup [.

Carlos Alberto Parreira (CAP) has announced his locally based squad, and as it always happens, some people are happy, others are not, but at least we can see who he has in mind for the Bafana Bafana World Cup Team.

This 29-man squad will be heading to Durban for a training camp from 15 28 January to work with their Brazilian coach.

Bafana Bafana Training in Durban

Durban fans have their vuvuzelas ready to cheer Bafana Bafana tonight in the friendly against Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

And I will be there – my first night match at Moses Mabhida and my fist look at the local Bafana Bafana squad in the steaming Durban summer heat.