FIFA World Cup Finals 2010 Match by Match (Group A)
Match by Match Reports
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Group A included the host nation, South Africa along with France (winners in 1998), Mexico and Uruguay. On paper, France were the strongest team in this section but recent indifferent results and apparent dissent within the squad, which exploded dramatically onto the front pages meant the French went home in disgrace.
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South Africa
Mexico
South Africa 1 v 1 Mexico
venue Johannesburg SC (84,490)
date Friday 11 June 3pm BST
Mexico have never won an opening match and the host team has never lost one so it may well have been a good idea to put the mortgage on a draw - at least in hindsight. Mexico had the better of a nervous South African side and showed no sign of being intimidated by the angry hornet sound of tens of thousands of vuvuzelas.
Siphiwe Tshabalala gave the home team the lead with a superb strike after 55 minutes but Rafael Marquez equalised with 12 minutes left. Both sides could have had the winner in the closing moments but overall a draw was a fair result.
(Andre Silva)
Uruguay
France
Uruguay 0 v 0 France
venue Cape Town (64,000)
date Friday 11 June 7.30pm BST
The match was played out in a crowded mid-field, neither side possessing the creativity or change of pace to dominate. In the 81st minute the Uruguayan substitute, Nicolas Lodeiro was sent off for a nasty lunge on Bacary Sagna. Having shown signs that they believed they could win the game over the previous 15 minutes, the South American side now shut up shop. When Thierry Henry scooped a free-kick from a perfect position into the defensive wall in the last seconds of added time, it was a typically lacklustre end to a disappointing game.
(Andre Silva)
South Africa
Uruguay
South Africa 0 v 3 Uruguay
venue Pretoria (51,000)
date Wednesday 16 June 7.30pm BST
Bafana bafana came spectacularly to grief against a poised Uruguay team for whom Forlán, who scored twice, was outstanding. His first came after 24 minutes: South Africa pressed for an equaliser but looked at times out of their depth. Disaster struck in the 75th minute when the South African goalkeeper was sent off for a desperate lunge on Suárez during a goal mouth scramble. Forlán scored from the resulting penalty after a nerve-wracking five minute delay while a replacement goalkeeper prepared to come on. To compound the host team's misery, Pereira added a third in the final seconds of added time as the stadium rapidly emptied.
France
Mexico
France 0 v 2 Mexico
venue Polokwane (45,372)
date Thursday 17 June 7.30pm BST
Mexico thoroughly deserved their victory, their first ever against France, who looked dispirited and played with no sense of urgency until it was too late. Both goals came in the second half, 37 year-old Blanco wrapping it up with a penalty in the 79th minute after Abidal needlessly tripped Barrero who looked as if he was going to run the ball out of play.
(Andre Silva)
Mexico
Uruguay
Mexico 0 v 1 Uruguay
venue Rustenburg (33,425)
date Tuesday 22 June 3pm BST
Fears that these two teams would play out a draw to ensure both would progress proved groundless. The match was entertaining with both sides looking for a win and the prospect of avoiding a likely meeting with Argentina in the next round. In the event the game was settled when Suarez headed home just before half-time.
Uruguay thus topped the group and Mexico went forward on goal difference, having finished equal on points with South Africa.
(Andre Silva)
France
South Africa
France 1 v 2 South Africa
venue Bloemfontein (39,415)
date Tuesday 22 June 3pm BST
Friction between the French squad and manager Raymond Domenech erupted into open mutiny earlier in the week after Anelka was sent home for abusive remarks made at half-time in France's previous game and captain Patrice Evra was dropped in the fallout. Goals from Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela gave Bafana Bafana hope of qualifying at the interval against a demoralised French team. Mphela almost put the hosts three up when he hit the bar early in the second half but his team then ran out of steam. When Malouda scored for France in the 70th minute, South Africa's hopes of progressing were extinguished.
Match by Match Reports
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