Hello all and welcome to our continuing live updates of select games of the World Cup. It's a new day as far as the World Cup is concerned and today, arguably, is also the start of the vital group games for most of the sides: the last remaining game.
Pardon me if I use cliches such as "winner takes all" for the next couple of days because the stakes really are that high.
And there is also a change of timings from today. No more games will be kicking-off at 17:00 IST. All Groups A, C, E and G games will start from 19:30 IST while the last remaining games for Groups B, D, F and H will commence from midnight. There will be two games played simultaneously and four games played in a single day.
Right, that's that about which Group will be playing when.
Both the games of Group A will be kicking-off from 19:30. Uruguay faces Mexico while France takes on the host nation South Africa.
The game in focus is France vs South Africa. But fans of Latin and Central American football, don't get disheartened. All the important news and updates from Uruguay vs Mexico will land on this screen as soon as it happens.
Lot has been said and written about France, but sadly for them, it's not been positive. There has been a lot of catharsis — both from present and past footballers — about the current fiasco. There were even damaging reports about players threatening to not play today.
And keeping in mind all the developments since Mexico beat France, Raymond Domenech has made some interesting team decisions.
Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse starts alongside Andre-Pierre Gignac. There is no place in the starting line-up for Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan who is suspended while Gourcuff comes back into the starting eleven.
But the most eye-raising replacement >is the inclusion of Gael Clichy for captain Patrice Evra.
The detailed team news:-
France: Hugo Lloris, Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Sebastien Squillaci, Gael Clichy, Alou Diarra, Abou Diaby, Yoan Gourcuff, Franck Ribery; Andre-Pierre Gignac, Djibril Cisse.
South Africa: Moeneeb Josephs, Anele Ngcongoa, Bongani Khumalo, Aaron Mokoena, Tsepo Masilela, MacBeth Sibaya, Thanduyise Khuboni, Steven Pienaar, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker.
Uruguay team news: Coach Oscar Tabarez has walked the talk indeed. He maintains the feared forward line-up of Forlan, Suarez and Cavani. >This is exactly what Tabarez (and Aguirre) had to say before the game.
The teams are out of the tunnel and the match is moments away from kicking-off.
Rise, for the national anthems.
Will it be high-stakes poker where the team which takes the most chances win or will it be a cautious, conservative affair decided by a single goal? It promises to be a belter with probably one or two spies just looking after what Uruguay and Mexico are up to.
The anthems have been sung and the players are shaking hands. The French squad wouldn't have done that in quite a while.
France will be getting us under way, playing from left to right on your TV screens.
The match has kicked-off.
The French back-four has a heavy Arsenal influence with no less than three of the back four currently plying their trade with the North London club.
3rd minute The much-vaunted Gourcuff runs down the left before releasing Gignac inside the area. But Gignac's shot is weak and is saved comfortably by the keeper.
Up the other end, South Africa has an early look at the French goal but nothing comes of it.
7th minute Given their performances till now, the French have started brightly. They have already made a couple of attacking forays.
9th minute Some quality forward-pressing from Clichy down the left checks a South African progress. They are more urgent today, the French.
12th minute The long-ranging legs of Daiby strides down the attacking third but his pass comes to nothing. Half-hearted appeals of a hand-ball from Cisse but nothing tragic for the South Africans yet.
14th minute A french corner is dealt with ease by the South African defence.
It's still deadlocked in the group ' s other game between Uruguay and Mexico. Suarez had a chance to put Uruguay in front but did not take it.
20th minute France 0-1 South Africa. A corner from Tshabalala beats the outstretched hands of Lloris, poor keeping one must say, and is headed in by Khumalo. A powerful header that but not very dominating keeping from Lloris.
24th minute They almost have a second but Mphela does not find the left bottom corner from inside the penalty area.
26th minute Gourcuff sent off. Gourcuff, in an aerial battle with Sibaya, and catches the South African with his leading arm. The referee shows a straight red. Don't really know whether there was intent to hurt.
The French don't know what has hit them. They are looking bemused to say the least.
34th minute Pienaar wins a free-kick from a tempting 22-yards but the first goal-scorer of this World Cup, Tshabalala, puts it over the bar.
The match between Uruguay and Mexico is still goalless. Andres Guardado, though, did hit the woodwork with a cracking strike.
37th minute A cross from Tshabalala ping-pongs around the French box before a low drive from Masilela is tapped in by Mphela into an empty net. Mphela did have to win a duel with Clichy and the lose ball was seized upon by Mphela.
The South Africans are all over the French. But celebrations are tempered because the match between Uruguay and Mexico is still goalless.
43rd minute Mphela, from about 20-yards, lashes in a low shot but Lloris produces a fine save and turns it behind for a corner.
44th minute: Breaking News: Uruguay leads Mexico through Luis Suarez.
45th minute Another South African attack is under way but the referee halts play because Gignac is down and holding his face.
The half-time whistle goes in both the games. The first 45 minutes has been nothing short of drama. South Africa leads France 2-0 while Uruguay, just before half-time, scored through Luis Suarez.
The French side has not turned up for the encounter. There were myriad changes for the Les Blues but nothing seems to be working. Gourcuff, who sparkled in the initial minutes, was given his marching orders for a leading arm. Replays suggested that the punishment could have been less severe as there was no clear intent to harm the South African player in question.
South Africa won't care. They need to score two more goals here and hope that Mexico don't reply to Uruguay's earlier effort.
Just minutes away from the second-half. This could well be the last 45 minutes of Raymond Domenech's reign as the coach of France. His successor, Laurent Blanc, will takeover once the World Cup is over. Looking at the last 45 minutes, and generally taking the World Cup as a whole, he will have a lot of work once he takes over.
Malouda has come on for Gignac.
The match has kicked-off after half-time.
Just to remind the readers: South Africa needs to score two more goals, without France scoring, and hope that Uruguay don't concede for the "Bafana Bafana" to go through.
49th minute The first effort of the second-half. Bernard Parker's left-footed strike from 22-yards is saved by Lloris.
51st minute Mphela almost makes it three. A pin-point pass from Tshabalala through the centre finds Mphela all alone but his effort from near the six-yard box hits the outside of the right post before going out for a goal-kick. What a chance.
Thierry Henry is warming up near the touchline.
54th minute Sagna's accurate pass from the right finds Cisse but Cisse's shot, from just outside the area, goes over the bar.
That is the last contribution of Cisse. He makes way for Henry.
The South Africans again have lots of possession inside their attacking third. But the final, telling ball never arrives and the ball goes out for a goal-kick. Meanwhile, Gaxa comes on for Ngcongca.
58th minute Another high-quality save from Lloris, again Mphela the man denied. His shot from the edge of the area is turned behind expertly by the Lyon keeper.
59th minute Ribery manufactures a yard of space before shooting from just inside the area. But his shot goes over the bar. It has been a World Cup to forget for the Bayern Munich winger.
South Africa is just two unanswered goals away from keeping the record of host nations always qualifying to the knockouts intact.
62nd minute Mphela goes on a little run down the right before cutting inside and shooting from a difficult angle. But his effort is saved by Lloris.
Henry, after coming on, has taken the captain's armband.
66th minute Pienaar's low drive from well outside the box is pouched by Lloris.
67th minute Tshabalala is struggling with an injury here.
68th minute Nomvethe replaces Parker.
70th minute That's the best move by the French and it has resulted in a goal. Ribery's pass, after inviting the keeper to rush forward down the right, sets up a simple tap-in for second-half replacement Florent Malouda. Consolation or inspiration for the greatest comeback ever, only time will tell.
This is end to end stuff. South Africa counter-attack but only the legs of the last man prevent South Africa from scoring their third.
75th minute Nomvethe takes on the entire French defence but the move comes to a disappointing end.
It's still 1-0 in the other game but Mexico will go through on goal difference.
80th minute A dipping effort from Tshabalala goes over the bar. It did have the complete attention of Lloris.
82nd minute A long-floating effort from Henry flies over the keeper's head. It's desperation for Les Blues here, who are looking to salvage some pride.
83rd minute Tshabala springs yet an other attacking move for "Bafana Bafana". But it breaks down without causing Lloris any harm. Tshabalala has had an outstanding game, possessing a great engine from the middle of the park, taking on the entire French defence. To be fair to him, he has not stopped running after his opener against Mexico.
This has been an outstanding achievement from the rainbow nation. But, only a bizzare change of events will eliminate Mexico (which is still trailling against Uruguay).
STOPPAGE TIME: Three minutes
90+1 Modise's effort from just outside the box hits the side-netting.
90+2 Tshabalala is close to giving South Africa a third. He is unmarked and has ownership of the French penalty area and from around six-yards out, he hammers it in but Lloris saves. The rebound, cue for Tshabalala to run after it, is cleared.
The final whistle blows. What a game this has been. South Africa is eliminated but they can walk with their heads held high. The French have also been eliminated.
For the French, they will need to introspect like never before. This tournament has been nothing short of embarrasment for the Les Blues - on as well as off the field. They were a sorry apology for a football team competing in the World Cup. There were myriad divisions among the team and never really looked at fighting it out on the pitch. Domenech will have to take some blame because of his handling of the affairs, but the players cannot escape criticism either.
Under a new coach and new management, with Laurent Blanc set to take over, they can only aspire to go one way: UP
The group's other game, featuring Mexico and Uruguay, ended 1-0 to the Latin Americans but both of them are through to the last 16. A sensational result for the Mexicans, who were tipped to finish third behind France and Uruguay according to all the pundits.
Credit to Uruguay and Mexico who played out an actual game of football, defying all pre-match talk.
For the "Bafana Bafana", this tournament has given them a wonderful opportunity to test their footballing culture against some of the best countries of the world. Although they might be disappointed with the final outcome, they stood up to Mexico and outclassed France.
That's all from me.. but that's not all for the day. Be sure to join Ashwin Achal, who will be covering Argentina and Greece from 23:45 IST tonight (and also keeping a careful eye over the developments of South Korea and Nigeria).
