FIFA President Joseph Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma are addressing the 90,000 odd spectators inside the Soccer City Stadium.
The starting line-ups of the first match (South Africa vs Mexico) have been announced.
Mexico: Perez, Rodriguez, Aguilar, Osorio, Salcido, Torrado, Marquez, Juarez, Vela, Franco, Giovani. Substitutes: Ochoa, Barrera, Castro, Blanco, Hernandez, Moreno, Guardado, Magallon, Torres, Bautista, Medina, Michel.
South Africa: Khune, Gaxa, Mokoena, Thwala, Khumalo, Tshabalala, Pienaar, Modise, Letsholonyane, Dikgacoi, Mphela. Substitutes: Ochoa, Barrera, Castro, Blanco, Hernandez, Moreno, Guardado, Magallon, Torres, Bautista, Medina, Michel.
Around the buzzing of vuvuzelas the match kicks off.
2nd minute Dos Santos has a very early chance to put Mexico in the lead but his shot deflects behind for a corner.
Mexico are making all the early running while the hosts seem to be rattled.
10th minute A long ball almost catches Mexico but Perez is quick off his line to clear the danger.
13th minute The hosts seem to have settled after initial nerves
16th minute Some crisp short-passes from the South African midfield has earned them a free-kick from a tempting range. But Steven Pienaar blasts the free-kick over the bar.
18th minute: Efrain Juarez becomes the first player to be carded at the this year's World Cup - a very harsh one at that - for a hand ball
19th minute Mexico catches South Africa on a swift counter but Dos Santos, who has been a very lively customer, blazes over from 20 yards.
28th minute Dikgacoi gets into the referee's bad book with a yellow card. Marquez hits the resultant free-kick miles over the bar.
29th minute The penetrative Pienaar again finds space on the right but his cross is held by the keeper.
Mexico are dominating possession stats (61%) but their final pass has let them down.
32nd minute Aguilar and Vela combine on the right with the latter playing a delightful chip to Franco, whose weak effort is saved by the South Africa keeper.
34th minute Vela pounces on a loose ball inside the penalty box but his shot is way-off target.
37th minute The little two of Mexico Vela and Dos Santos are again involved in some delightful build-up play but Santos's shot is saved.
38th minute The resultant corner kick, flighted in by Torrado, is turned in by Vela only for the assistant to wave his flag for offside.
41st minute Santos's free-kick is delightfully curled in but Franco's header goes over the bar.
44th minute The hosts are finishing strongly. They have had three corners inside two minutes.
The whistle goes to signal the end of the first-half. Mexico did all the play during the early stages but the hosts have come into the game more. Pienaar and Dos Santos have looked very lively.
The teams are walking out for the second half.
Half-time substitution: South Africa: Masilela in for Thwala out.
48th minute It has been a slow start to the second half but the hosts won't mind.
49th minute A last-ditch header from Carlos Salcido preserves parity as a loopy cross from the left tests the Mexican defence.
53rd minute Dos Santos decides to take on the entire South African defence before running into a cul-de-sac. The first attacking move by Mexico in the second-half.
55th minuteTshabalala puts the hosts in front. Soccer City erupts. South Africa 1-0 Mexico. The Kaizer Chiefs midfielder was played through with a super pass and his lightning left foot shot rattles the top of the Mexican net.
60th minute Santos's stunning impulsive effort is turned behind for a corner. A loose ball from the resultant corner is blazed over the bar.
66th minute What a chance for the hosts to double their lead. Some good play in the attacking third finds Modise whose side-footed effort from close range goes wide.
Mexico are clearly rattled and have been by-standers as the hosts are dominating the game. Meanwhile Vela comes off for Blanco. This is their second substituition after Guardado was sent on for Aguilar.
69th minute Pienaar and Modise, after some intelligent work, release Mphela whose shot is closed-down by 'keeper Perez.
73rd minute Javier Hernandez is sent on for Franco. Can the new Manchester Utd boy bring back the Mexicans.
79th minute Rafael Marquez has all the time and space in the world and duly obliges by lashing the ball into the net. South Africa 1 - 1 Mexico. A loopy cross from substitute Andres Guardado from the left finds Marquez all alone and he obliged. We could have a grandstand finish.
84th minute Pienaar replaced by Parker.
85th minute Javier Hernandez has a half-hearted penalty shout turned down.
90th minute Mphela, with two Mexican defenders on his heels, nearly puts the hosts ahead. His shot hits the post. Frenetic end to the match.
Match finishes. South Africa 1-1 Mexico.
South Africa will be proud of their performance. After looking very shaky at the start, they fought their way back into the game and took the lead throuigh the left-foot of Tshabalala. While the Mexicans were wondering what hit them, the hosts had numerous chances to double their advantage. With time running out, substitute Guardado picked out Marquez, who was unmarked in the far-post, who lashed a shot into the back of the net.
The Mexicans showed some urgency at the death but the South Africans could have clinched a late winner if not for the width of the post.
Given that the Mexicans started the better, and had some chances of their own, no team can claim to have dominated the other over the 90 minutes. A deserved share of the spoils.
The other match in this group, between two time winner Uruguay and 2006 finalist France, is scheduled to start at 23:50 IST.
