Published>Tue, Jun 22 10 05:37 PM
A South Africa team on the brink of the worst ever performance by a World Cup host and a French side torn by dissent both search for a miracle result to try to salvage some honour on Tuesday.
A players' rebellion in the French camp, which has disgusted fans at home, has opened up a slim chance for the local Bafana Bafana team who need a large score to reach the second round.
Even then, it would depend on Mexico and Uruguay not drawing in the other simultaneous Group A match in Rustenburg.
"The miracle is going to happen. We are going to win for sure!" said Michael Rorwana, a 28-year-old cleaner among excited fans preparing to attend the game at the normally staid judicial capital Bloemfontein's Free State stadium.
France, champions in 1998 and runners-up in 2006, also desperately need to win go through or at least salvage some of their tarnished reputation after being pilloried by their domestic press and politicians as spoilt, overpaid brats.
The scandal, sparked by Nicolas Anelka being sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech, deepened when Domenech said some rebels might be unwilling to even play on Tuesday.
"Words would not help now, we need action," Domenech said. "The players must bring answers on the pitch. How they will be remembered depends on how they will fare against South Africa."
Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot, dispatched by President Nicolas Sarkozy to try to end the shambles, told the players they had tarnished the nation's image.
ARGENTINA SEEK TO FRIGHTEN
Iberian sides restored some European pride on Monday in a tournament so far dominated by Latin America.
Portugal thrashed North Korea 7-0 in their best World Cup result and the highest scoring game in this tournament and Spain returned to form to beat Honduras 2-0 despite missing a penalty.
In other matches on Tuesday, Argentina, one of the favourites and on the verge of qualification from Group B, will want to intimidate future opposition in the knockout round with a big win over Greece.
The Greeks, in turn, want Nigeria to beat South Korea to improve their chances of qualification.
Together with Brazil, Diego Maradona's Argentina have led a South American charge at the World Cup, leaving both Africa and European giants in their slipstream.
Portugal's victory put them firmly on the road to the second round from Group G as well as breaking a 16-month international goal drought for Cristiano Ronaldo, cheered on by a large crowd of fellow Madeirans.
It also ended a curse on Cape Town's graceful new Green Point stadium that had produced only dull draws in three previous games.
Orchestrated by Maradona and including World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, the Argentines have produced some of the most entertaining soccer in the World Cup so far.
SOUTH AFRICA'S ECONOMIC BOON
Confirming the South American trend, Chile managed to prise open the vice-like Swiss defence on Monday to win 1-0 and take top place in Group H after two games.
The scandal in the French camp, when the players refused to train on Sunday, has caused profound soul searching at home.
Politicians and philosophers said it reflected deep weaknesses of materialistic modern French society and team sponsors began running for the door.
South African leaders appealed to the population to stick with the tournament even if Bafana Bafana are eliminated, worried that empty fan parks and stadium seats will rob the continent's first World Cup of its atmosphere.
Regardless of that, a legacy of investment and job creation in Africa's biggest economy is guaranteed, President Jacob Zuma said in an interview with Reuters Insider television.
"The event itself has created such an opportunity that our economy is not going to be of the same size after the 2010 World Cup," Zuma said.
In an unsavoury aspect of the tournament, South African police said they were keeping a close eye on midfielder Sani Kaita who received e-mailed death threats after being sent off in Nigeria's loss to Greece.
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