Ghana will become the first African team to reach the semifinals of the World Cup if they beat Uruguay at the Soccer City Stadium on Friday. But they could be without four key players as they attempt to make history.

Brazil defender Juan believes the Selecao has what it takes to snuff out the attacking threat posed by Arjen Robben and company quarterfinal clash with The Netherlands.
“Robben is a great player, who is in great form,” Juan said on Wednesday in Johannesburg. “Our job is to stop the balls getting forward to him. It will be an important step on the road to victory. We have to be very well organised in defence so that nothing surprises us,” said Juan.

Former star Italian defender Claudio Gentile has called Diego Maradona a buffoon after the Argentina coach referred to him as a killer.
“After what he said, I must agree with the opinion of Pele and Platini: Maradona is more a buffoon than a coach,” Tuesday’s edition of the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport quoted Gentile as saying.

A tired and weary English team returned home on Tuesday after their ouster from the World Cup.
No fans were in sight to welcome Fabio Capello’s men when they stepped off the plane at London’s Heathrow airport at around 6:20 am.

Referees Jorge Larrionda and Roberto Rosetti were nowhere to be seen on Tuesday at Fifa’s third open day for media to meet referees in Pretoria.
Larrionda officiated over England-Germany tie and caused international uproar when failing to spot that Frank Lampard’s shot come off the underside of the crossbar and landed clearly behind the goal-line.

The saliva is already pooling on the floor in Cape Town as mouths water ahead of the first ever World Cup match between neighbours Spain and Portugal, who meet on Tuesday evening in the final Round of 16 match.

US President Barack Obama was on the edge of his seat as he tried to catch the final minutes of extra time in Saturday’s World Cup match against Ghana, in between meetings with world leaders at a summit in Toronto.

Former England captain John Terry apologised on Tuesday for the criticism of coach Fabio Capello that led to talk of a players mutiny.
Terry made a series of comments on Sunday that suggested England players were about to revolt against Capello’s strict regime, and called for Joe Cole to come into t

England’s World Cup is in the balance with everything up for grabs for all four teams in Group C on Wednesday.
England must in reality beat group leaders Slovenia who only need a draw in Port Elizabeth to progress to the last 16.

Both Serbia and Australia need to win their final Group D clash in Nelspruit on Wednesday.
But while a victory for Serbia would guarantee it a place in the last-16, a victory for Australia could still send the Socceroos crashing out depending on the Ghana-Germany result in the other Group D fixture.