Below you'll find a complete list of the 32 coaches at World Cup 2010. You'll also find their nationality, and their age going into the tournament. Beneath that you'll find some amateur hour number crunching I did with pen, paper and the calculator on my cell phone to work out a few statistics.

Before you look at the list of coaches and the numbers, do yourself a favour and have a guess at how those numbers pan out.

Son of a whore. I have to fill in my brackets, and I have absolutely no idea who's going to win this god-damned thing. Four years of waiting, and I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm doing. I feel like [INSERT NATIONAL TEAM COACH HERE.]
Well, let's start with an easy one:
GROUP A, in order of predicted finish:
1.

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.

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.

Maybe the Red Bulls just don't get it.
They continue to ignore the blueprints of success with other Major League Soccer clubs, and hire foreign coaches with zero MLS experience. Without a head coach with a keen knowledge of the American player - be it current players in the league or upincoming collegiate/youth players - the Red Bulls have failed on several occasions.

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.

O Volta Redonda Futebol Clube fará neste sábado, dia 13, s 15h30m, um amistoso internacional. O Tricolor de Aço, que jamais perdeu uma partida contra equipes estrangeiras, vai até o Centro de Treinamento da Seleção Brasileira - a Granja Comary, em Teresópolis (RJ) - para enfrentar a Seleção da África do Sul, anfitriã da Copa do Mundo de 2010.

With the World Cup ever so close, FIFA is today unveiling the World Cup final ball. The ball will be used in just one game this summer, but will be a prominent talking point of the single biggest football match of the year. Like the tournament's official ball, it will be produced by adidas.

Franz Beckenbauer and South African team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will be broadcasting live from the adidas headquarters in Germany as they are joined by Dr.

We've already seen the adidas Jabulani, official match ball of the 2010 World Cup. But superb as that ball might be, it's not good enough for the actual World Cup 2010 Final on July 11th. Such an event requires a whole other ball, and so adidas and FIFA unveiled the adidas Jo'bulani this morning, so called because the final will be held in Johannesburg.

Adversária do Brasil na primeira fase da Copa do Mundo de 2010, a Coreia do Norte fará nesta quinta-feira um amistoso contra a África do Sul, seleção anfitriã do Mundial comandada por Carlos Alberto Parreira.

O confronto será disputado em Frankfurt, na Alemanha, onde a seleção sul-africana está realizando um período de treinamentos.

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.

Today, at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Bafana Bafana need to take on Thailand and score. Bafana need to put the ball in the net a few times.

Speaking to kickoff, Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune says the energy created by the fans as the World Cup nears is proving a confidence booster for the team and he hopes the support that they provide will be influential in ripping apart Thailand at the new Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Operation Rainbow Nation

The General:

Carlos Alberto Parreira is the side's manager and the Brazilian born skipper is looking to shake off South Africa's disappointing African Cup of Nations run in 2008 by advancing deep into the World Cup this summer. Parreira coaching career's highest high was when he led his homeland of Brazil to the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

With his team currently languishing in ninetieth position in the world rankings, South Africa manager Carlos Alberto Parreira clearly has a tough task ahead of him in trying to make the host nation competitive in what looks to be a tough group.

In their opener, South Africa face a Mexico side that have reached the second round in each of their last four World Cups.

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.

1 Moneeb JOSEPHS (19/05/1980) P Orlando Pirates (RSA)2 Siboniso GAXA (06/04/1984) DF Mamelodi Sundowns(RSA)3 Tsepo MASILELA (05/05/1985) DF Maccabi Haifa (ISR)4 Aaron MOKOENA (25/11/1980) DF Portsmouth (ENG)5 Anele NGCONGCA (20/10/1987) DF Racing Genk (BEL)6 MacBeth SIBAYA (25/11/1977) MC Rubin Kazan (RUS)7 Lance DAVIDS (11/04/1985) MC Ajax Cape Town (RSA)8 Siphiwe TSHABALALA (25/09/1984) MC Kaizer Chiefs (RSA)9 Katlego MPHELA (29/11/1984) DL Mamelodi S.

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.

My South African collaborator and friend has very kindly sent over some final words before Friday's opening game. Here's what Karen Lotter had to say...
"Vuvuzelas, mirror socks, flags all over the place and soccer jerseys on every second person – South Africa is so ready for the 2010 World Cup.

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.

Bafana Bafana can hold their heads high.

They won the battle but lost the war. Beating France,2-1. Their first half display and Mexico trailing Uruguay, raised the spectre of an improbable passage into the group of 16. Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela scored goals as a reeling France, down to ten man after Oscar Ruiz, the Colombian referee sent off Yoann Gourcuff for a questionable elbow to Macbeth Sibaya.

As if we needed another example of how French national team manager Raymond Domenech is a disgrace. But somehow he managed to end his job in disgrace just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.

At the end of France's woeful performance against South Africa, Domenech refused to shake the hand of Carlos Alberto Parreira, national team manager for South Africa and one of the most well-respected managers in the international game.

As if we needed another example of how French national team manager Raymond Domenech is a disgrace. But somehow he managed to end his job in disgrace just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.

At the end of France's woeful performance against South Africa, Domenech refused to shake the hand of Carlos Alberto Parreira, national team manager for South Africa and one of the most well-respected managers in the international game.

When Brazil were knocked out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa we all knew that Dunga was going to get more than his fair share of the heat. In the build up to the match against Netherlands Dunga took criticism from both Johan Cruyff and Pele with regards to his tactics and pragmatic style.

Um cartoon de um jornl sul-africano analisando com humor o desentendimento entre Parreira e Domenech.

By Chris Wright

Despite turning the French national team into a quivering globule of merde during his six years in charge, Raymond Domenech is seeking £2.5 million in compensation from the French Football Federation (FFF) after he was sacked following Les Bleus disastrous showing at the 2010 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.

South Africa's Brazilian coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira has come out and said that the South Africa World Cup squad will be largely made up of locally based players.He is quoted as saying:"The team that will play in the World Cup will be made up by 65-70 per cent of locally-based players. This is largely because the overseas-based players are not regulars in their teams.

Das agências internacionais
Em Johanesburgo (AFS) A África do Sul começa a se preparar para a Copa do Mundo com dois amistosos contra seleções frágeis, a partir deste sábado.

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.

Veja reportagem de jornal local sobre o jogo.
South Africa showed their class as they scored six goals in a friendly match against Swaziland played at Durban's Chatsworth Stadium.
Winning should be a habit for Carlos Alberto Parreira's men if they are to give a good account of themselves in the World Cup which is just a couple of months away and they made a great start to their preparations playing a blinder against the Swazis.

Renato Pazikas

Direto de Rustenburgo

A seleção sul-africana de futebol vai enfrentar o São Paulo no dia 3 de abril, no estádio do Morumbi, em amistoso preparatório para a Copa do Mundo. A informação foi confirmada nesta terça-feira por Carlos Alberto Parreira, que treina a equipe anfitriã do Mundial.

México, 9 mar (EFE).- México e Paraguai farão um amistoso de preparação Copa do Mundo de 2010 no próximo dia 13 de maio, na cidade americana de Houston.
A data e o local já estavam definidos previamente, faltava apenas encontrar um adversário.
O México começou a preparação ao Mundial em 24 de fevereiro, com uma goleada de 3 a 0 sobre a Bolívia, e superou a Nova Zelândia, que também estará no torneio, pelo placar de 2 a 0, no início do mês.

In the midst of taking care of a few loose ends for an upcoming trip to Brazil, I happened to learn that Bafana Bafana is doing its World Cup 2010 preparations in Teresopolis! The selection of the Brazilian training ground, which serves as a training site for the Brazilian sides, only makes perfect sense because this is the home turf of Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.

Os invictos caíram. Em seu último amistoso no tour por Brasil e Paraguai, a seleção da África do Sul parou no time reserva do Santos e perdeu por 2 a 1 neste sábado, na Vila Belmiro. Os anfitriões da Copa do Mundo de 2010 saíram na frente, com gol de Mphela, mas o Peixe virou com Marcel e Breitner.

Carlos Alberto Parreira

Carlos Alberto Parreira, Bafana Bafana head coach, has announced a 25-man squad that will travel to Germany for a training camp. The team departs on Monday (12 April) and will return to South Africa on Friday (30 April).

With spirits running high in the Bafana camp after a very successful training camp in Brazil, the boys seem to be looking forward to the European trip.

Are you a professional footballer? On the fringes of the international squad? Or an old pro who feels he can still 'do a job' for the team?Well, if you are, you might like to take a leaf out of South African defender Nasief Morris' book. Morris fell out with former South Africa coach Joel Santana and has tried to get back into the South Africa squad by begging current manager Carlos Parreira via

South Africa are the hosts of World Cup 2010, and will be in Group A with France, Mexico and Uruguay. Not an easy draw, and the pressure will be on for Bafana Bafana to at least get out of the group stage.

Read on for the full South Africa profile, and feel free to disagree with any of the below in the comments.

The 19th FIFA World Cup kicks off in nine weeks today, and as such Dotmund continues his almost-in-depth look ahead to this summer's festivities. Today is the beginning of his preview of each of the eight groups, having been sent foraging for facts on the internet with only his trusty huge mackerel baguette for company.