S.Africans warm to Nations Cup and fancy Angola

January 24, 2010

South Africa are shock absentees from the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, but interest in the competition remains high around the World Cup host nation.

Pay channel SuperSport is screening all 29 fixtures live while public broadcaster SABC shows most long after they finished to the great annoyance of football viewers.

Soap operas rule the roost at three-channel SABC and even the South African national team Bafana Bafana (The Boys) often have to accept late kick-offs to fit programme schedules.

SuperSport have provided a 30-minute build-up to each game, hired three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele as an analyst, and allow their continent-wide audience to air views soon after full-time.

Johannesburg newspapers did not send reporters to the three-week tournament, but there is a large daily dose of news agency copy in all titles to satisfy even the most avid African football follower.

Business Day, a title with little appetite for African football a few years ago, led their main sports page with a report and picture of the thrilling climax to Group D that saw Zambia and Cameroon squeeze through.

Where South Africans differ from most of Africa is the likely outcome with current star Steven Pienaar and 1996 Nations Cup-winning midfielder Innocent Buthelezi backing Angola rather than Ivory Coast for the title.

Everton midfielder Pienaar, the slightly built star on whom so much will hinge come June 11 and the opening World Cup fixture against Mexico, told the Sowetan Angola can become the second Nations Cup champions from the region.

“Angola have been the most impressive team since the tournament started, working as a unit with an incredible appetite for goals. I choose them to emulate 1996 champions Bafana Bafana.”

Buthelezi, who created international headlines for an Old Trafford tackle on Paul Gascoigne that led to the England midfielder being carried off during a friendly, backs Pienaar.

“Most matches are won or lost in midfield and this is where Angola are so powerful. They are aggressive, creative, agile and communicate well,” 40-year-old Johannesburg company owner Buthelezi told AFP.

“I am most impressed with how positive Angola have been and they just need to avoid the common African football pitfall of losing concentration in the closing minutes as happened against Mali when they gave away four goals.”

Buthelezi said Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba, fellow striker Flavio Amado of Angola and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel were individuals who caught his eye.

“Being a former midfielder I really enjoy Mikel. He has an arrogance on the ball and lack of respect for opponents that I appreciate. I never respected opponents – how can you respect the enemy?”

Multi-award-winning football analyst Matshelane Mamabolo of the Johannesburg Star said the number of early upsets in the tournament caught him by surprise, but believes title holders Egypt remain the team to beat.

“The ‘Pharaohs’ lack so many stars like Mohamed Aboutraika, Mohamed Barakat, Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam and Amr Zaki, fall behind to Nigeria in their opening match and still cruise to victory. That is the stamp of a great team.

“I also believe Ghana will benefit a lot from the Nations Cup. With so many first choices injured they are blooding stars of the youth team that won the world championship last year and this could pay off come the World Cup.”

South Africa were eliminated in the second of three qualifying rounds for Angola, finishing second behind Nigeria in one of four groups where the runners-up did not make the cut.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal were other notable omissions from the line-up for the biennial African football showpiece.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

Tags: absentees, african cup of nations, african football, african footballer of the year, Amado, Angola, bafana bafana, cup champions, England, footballer of the year, ghana, host nation, impressive team, international headlines, Ivory Coast, main sports, mali, Mexico, Mikel, morocco, nations cup, nigeria, paul gascoigne, public broadcaster, S.Africans, sabc, Senegal, soap operas, South Africa, south africans, sowetan, steven pienaar

Barcelona to up offer for Shakhtar´s Chygrynskiy

August 26, 2009

Barcelona are set to offer Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk 25 million euros for their central defender Dmitro Chygrynskiy, according to reports Wednesday.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has kept a close eye on the 22-year-old Ukrainian as he bids to reinforce his squad before the transfer deadline on August 31.

“He knows how to play football, and we need to sign him,” Guardiola told Catalan television channel TV3 earlier this week.

Shakhtar are currently unwilling to sell but Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo claimed Wednesday Barcelona have “pulled out all the stops” in a bid to sign Chygrynskiy.

After winning the Spanish Super Cup last weekend Barcelona could pick up their second trophy of the season when they face Shakhtar in the final of the European Super Cup, which pits last season’s Champions League winners against the UEFA Cup champions.

Barcelona became the first Spanish club to achieve the treble of the Spanish league, King’s Cup and Champions League titles last season.

This season they could theoretically aim for another five trophies, following their most recent success, in the league, Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup being held in December in the United Arab Emirates.

BARCELONA (AFP)

Tags: Barcelona, central defender, Champions, champions league, Chygrynskiy, club world cup, Cup, cup champions, European, league titles, league winners, mundo deportivo, pep guardiola, shakhtar, spanish club, spanish league, television channel, transfer deadline, treble, trophies, trophy, tv3, uefa, UEFA Cup, united arab emirates

PENDING: Mexico seek vital victory over US at Azteca

August 12, 2009

Mexico will seek to continue its dominance over the United States at Azteca Stadium on Wednesday as the CONCACAF regional rivals clash in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

Mexico go into the match lying in fourth place in the six-nation final group, from which three teams advance directly to the World Cup finals in South Africa. The fourth-placed team must play off against a team from South America for a berth.

Costa Rica leads North American regional qualifying with 12 points to 10 for the US squad. Honduras is third with Mexico in fourth.

Mexico received a massive morale boost heading into the match with a 5-0 victory over the United States in the Gold Cup final on July 26.

But that was against a young US side that didn’t include stars such as Landon Donovan.

On Wednesday US coach Bob Bradley will field a full-strength team as the Americans vie for a first-ever victory over Mexico at Azteca. They have only managed one draw there – a goalless draw in a 1997 World Cup qualifier.

“The difficulty is everything but the soccer,” Donovan said of the challenge of taking on Mexico at Azteca – where the altitude, poor air quality and fiercely partisan crowd of 100,000 all play a role.

“They use all of the outside influences to their advantage, but that?s not an excuse anymore for us. We?re not going to use it as an excuse.

“We?re not going for a point,” Donovan said. “We?re going there to win the game and we?re going to keep playing the way we?re playing.”

Donovan was referring to the form that has seen the United States win three of their five qualifiers to date, and reach the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Bradley has recalled an number of players who skipped the Gold Cup, including defender Oguchi Onyewu of AC Milan, Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey, Hull’s Jozy Altidore and the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Donovan.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre’s squad includes his Gold Cup champions along with defender Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven), Andres Guardado (Deportivo la Coruna) and veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire).

Aguirre replaced Sven Goran Eriksson in April and after a defeat at El Salvador saw his side down Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup qualifying on June 10.

Despite Mexico’s struggles in this qualifying campaign, Aguirre insists his side have what it takes.

“It?s not a dark scenario,” he said. “Why the heck were we going to be out of the World Cup? They have to give us a chance. If there was one game left and we had to win and have two rivals lose, then I would say it was tough. But things are different. Things have improved.”

Costa Rica will be trying to maintain their spot atop the standings when they travel to Honduras, while Trinidad and Tobago host El Salvador.

Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda, who also turned to a young squad in the Gold Cup, has recalled his best to take on the Ticos in the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula.

David Suazo of Inter Milan is still out with a leg injury, but Rueda has the services of captain Amado Guevara from Toronto FC, Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios, Parma?s Julio de Leon, Carlo Costly and Carlos Pavon.

Honduras have seven points from five matches. While they are lying third, they are three points behind the United States, just one in front of Mexico and only two ahead of El Salvador – who will be seeking to gain ground at winless Trinidad and Tobago.

MEXICO CITY (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Altidore, Andres Guardado, andres guardado deportivo la coruna, azteca stadium, bob bradley, captain Amado Guevara, Carlo Costly, Carlos Pavon, carlos salcido, carlos salcido psv, carlos salcido psv eindhoven, Chicago, Clint Dempsey, coach bob, Costa Rica, cup champions, David Suazo, final group, fulham, HULL, Javier Aguirre, jozy altidore, Julio de Leon, landon donovan, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, Mexico, mexico city, Milan, partisan crowd, poor air quality, reinaldo rueda, san pedro sula, South America, Sven Goran Eriksson, Tobago, world cup finals, world cup qualifier

Mexico beat Costa Rica on penalties

July 24, 2009

Mexico are through to the final of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, having beaten Costa Rica 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 final result.

Costa Rica were in fact the better side in the opening phase and got close to scoring when Alonso’s shot bounced off the right post on 12 minutes.

From there on, the Mexicans began to gain terrain as a more balanced battle formed at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

In the second half, Mexico even began to dominate and earned a penalty as Costa Rica captain Freddy Fernandez handled the ball in the area. However, Miguael Sabah’s following spot kick was easily saved by keeper Keilor Navas.

But the four-times Gold Cup champions did score what appeared to be the winner with two minutes left in regular time, as some defensive chaos ended with Guillermo Franco striking it home.

It wouldn’t be the end of the game though as Costa Rica levelled three minutes into added time, with a great finish from Froylan Ledezma.

No more goals were scored in extra time and penalties were needed to decide which team was to face the USA in Sunday’s final.

Ledezma, who had saved his team by scoring the equaliser, missed the only penalty in the shoot-out. Carlos Vela scored the decider, leading Mexico to the final.

By: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: added time, Alonso, captain Freddy Fernandez, Carlos Vela, Chicago, concacaf gold cup, Costa Rica, cup champions, decider, equaliser, extra time, final result, freddy, froylan ledezma, Guillermo Franco, mexicans, Mexico, navas, Sabah, shoot out, soldier field, three minutes, two minutes, USA

Homos the Confed Cup hero as Egypt stun Italy

June 19, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Unknown Mohamed Homos scored the goal that gave Egypt a shock 1-0 win over Italy and heightened hopes of two African qualifiers for the Confederations Cup semi-finals.

The clash of World Cup and African Nations Cup champions at Ellis Park was a thrilling climax to the fourth series of matches that began with Brazil cruising to a 3-0 victory over a 10-man United States at Loftus Versfeld.

Egypt, who came into the tournament under a heavy cloud after a hammering from Algeria in a World Cup qualifier, remain third in Group B behind Italy on goal difference.

But the Pharaohs face a demoralised and pointless USA in their final pool fixture in Rustenburg on Sunday night while Italy must confront goal-hungry six-point Brazil in Pretoria at the same time.

South Africa, staging the “festival of champions” to test their readiness to host the 2010 World Cup, are also in contention for a semi-finals slot with a three-point lead over Iraq going into the final series of Group A games.

Cameroon gave the best performance by an African team in the 2003 edition, reaching the final before failing 1-0 against hosts France in a tournament marred by the fatal on-pitch collapse of midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe.

After drawing with Zambia and losing to Algeria, Egypt arrived in South Africa like lambs ready for slaughter as injuries ruled out strikers Emad Moteab and Amr Zaki while Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam was out of favour.

That left Mohamed Zidan as the only recognised striker used to the demands of top-class football and the Germany-based star demonstrated his class with a brace in an unlucky 4-3 loss against Brazil.

Coach Hassan Shehata made one change for the first clash with Italy in 55 years, bringing in midfielder Homos for veteran captain Ahmed Hassan, and it paid rich dividends five minutes before half-time.

Mohamed Aboutrika floated a corner into the heart of the penalty area and Homos rose to head in via a post with Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon a helpless onlooker.

Another Egyptian hero emerged in the second half before a 50,000-plus crowd as veteran goalkeeper Essam al-Hadary made a string of superb saves to keep the Azzurri at bay.

Even five minutes of stoppage time could not salvage a draw for the world champions while Al-Hadary and defender Wael Gomaa were shown yellow cards for time wasting.

The frenetic finish in Johannesburg contrasted sharply with Pretoria as Brazil scored twice within 20 minutes and added a third soon after Sacha Kljestan became the second American to be sent off in as many games.

Felipe Melo headed the opener off a free kick, Ramires darted downfield to set up Robinho for the second and man-of-the-match Maicon completed the rout with an unstoppable close-range shot on 62 minutes.

“We played well but we want to play even better,” was the ominous warning from Manchester City striker Robinho ahead of a sell-out showdown against Italy in Pretoria.

Tags: amr zaki, class football, cup champions, ellis park, gianluigi buffon, goal difference, hassan shehata, homos, loftus versfeld, man united, marc vivien foe, mohamed aboutrika, mohamed zidan, onlooker, rich dividends, Rustenburg, six point, veteran captain, World Cup

African pride at stake in Egypt-Italy clash

June 18, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – African pride is at stake for Egypt who take on world champions Italy here on Thursday in the Confederations Cup after nearly pulling off a shock result against Brazil.

The Egyptians were unfortunate not to take at least a point off the defending champions in their opening Group B match, with a controversial last-minute penalty by Real Madrid’s Kaka crushing their hopes in a 4-3 defeat.

But Egypt’s second-half performance, in particular, was encouraging enough to suggest they can cause big problems for Italy, who conjured a spellbinding 3-1 over 10-man the United States on Monday.

Their Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan, who scored twice against Brazil and was voted man-of-the-match, said it was important to demonstrate to the world that Africa has credible football teams.

“We wanted to have a decent game against Brazil and show the world African football is good enough to compete with the very best teams,” said the dangerman, who ran Brazil captain Lucio ragged.

“I think we showed everyone that we have fighting spirit and in my opinion we deserved to earn a point. We hope to do better against Italy.”

The Pharoahs’ coach Hassan Shehata, who usually shuns press conferences and leaves his deputy Shawky Gharib to do the talking, said pushing Brazil so hard showed that African teams have what it takes.

“Yes it is,” he replied when asked by goal.com whether it was an historic footballing day for his country, but he also said fans needed to be realistic.

“We thank God for this result, but we have to be reasonable. After all, we lost the match. Even so, we will gain motivation and all players believe now that there is no impossible in football.”

While Egypt, who are struggling in World Cup qualifying, need a result to stay in the competition, Italy can seal their place in the semi-finals with victory in Johannesburg.

But coach Marcello Lippi is wary of the African Nations Cup champions’ after they pushed Brazil so close.

“Egypt have won two African titles, I know the team well,” he said.

“I really like their coach, I like his way of managing his team — it’s going to be tough judging by how they played against Brazil.”

While Italy picked up no serious injuries against the United States, doubt still surrounds captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro, who missed that match with a calf strain.

Cannavaro is just two appearances away from matching the 126-cap Italian record of fellow defender Paulo Maldini.

Against the United States, Giuseppe Rossi starred for Italy by scoring a brace after coming off the bench, but it was only in the second half that they came alive.

Lippi, who admitted that nerves got the better of them early on, said they found their “peace of mind” at half-time.

“We found our peace of mind in the second half – ‘ooomph’ is not enough, you have to have peace of mind,” he said.

Tags: african nations cup, african pride, borussia dortmund, brazil, coach marcello lippi, cup champions, dangerman, decent game, Egypt, egyptians, fabio cannavaro, fighting spirit, football teams, Giuseppe Rossi, God, hassan shehata, Italy, johannesburg, kaka, MADRID, mohamed zidan, Paulo, pharoahs, press conferences, real madrid, Serie A, United States, world champions, World Cup

Spain’s sporting state of grace

June 16, 2009

Pau Gasol’s triumph with the LA Lakers has prompted more articles in the Spanish media celebrating the country’s incredible run of sporting success.

Gasol was a vital cog in the Lakers machine this season and joins a long list of Spanish champions in individual and team sports.

Spain’s soccer team, after winning Euro 2008, has cemented its hold on the number one ranking by extending its unbeaten run to 33 matches, Barcelona strolled to the Champions League title last month with a humbling of holders Manchester United, Rafael Nadal is the top-ranked men’s tennis player and Spain Davis Cup champions, Jorge Lorenzo is joint leader in the MotoGP world championships and Carlos Sastre won the 2008 Tour de France, the third Spanish victory in a row.

“Another success for Spanish sport,” Nadal wrote of Gasol on his website on Tuesday. “It’s hard to take in everything that we are achieving,” he added. “We should be very proud.”

“Gasol has passed a new milestone for Spanish sport, even if there are not that many goals left to achieve,” said sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky.

Writing in Marca newspaper on Tuesday, columnist Santiago Segurola said the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 were a turning point for the country, changing the way people outside Spain viewed the nation and laying the foundations for today’s sporting achievements.

While Spain might not be the strongest sporting nation overall, it was among those that produced the widest variety of champions, almost all in sports with huge media impact, he added.

However, the recent success of athletes like Gasol and Nadal could be a mixed blessing for the team bidding to bring the Olympic Games to Madrid in 2016.

It helps raise the nation’s global profile but also serves to underline the relative weakness of Spain in the key Olympic sports of athletics and swimming.

“We are enjoying the luxury but lacking in the basics,” Segurola wrote.

Spain’s performance at the last Olympics in Beijing, where they came 14th in the medals table behind the likes of Jamaica, Netherlands and Ukraine, underscored their athletes’ deficiencies, Juan Bautista Martinez wrote in Tuesday’s La Vanguardia.

But at a time of economic crisis, with unemployment soaring and firms closing down, sport had become a kind of motor of society that had helped lift damp spirits, he said. “When everything is going down the tubes, sport comes to the rescue.”

Whether or not Madrid pips Chicago, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro to win the right to host the 2016 summer Games, the elusive dream for many Spaniards remains winning the soccer World Cup for the first time.

If Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta maintain anything like their current form, South Africa next year could well be the icing on the cake for this over-achieving nation of 40 million people.

PAU: Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol reaches for a rebound in the 3rd quarter during Game 4 of their NBA Finals series against the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Florida June 11, 2009. REUTERS/Kevin Kolczynski

INIESTA: Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta holds the trophy after their Champions League final victory against Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples

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Tags: Barcelona, barcelona olympics, Beijing, carlos sastre, Chicago, cup champions, Darren Staples, DAVID VILLA, euro 2008, Fernando Torres, Florida, France, global profile, Jamaica, jorge lorenzo, Juan, Kevin Kolczynski, la lakers, LA Liga, Los Angeles, MADRID, Manchester, mixed blessing, netherlands, olympic stadium, Orlando, PAU, pau gasol, rafael nadal, ranked men, relative weakness, rio de janeiro, ROME, santiago segurola, South Africa, Spain, spanish champions, spanish media, spanish sport, spanish victory, tokyo, tour de france, ukraine, vital cog

Don´t panic, Pienaar tells struggling South Africa

June 15, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Don’t panic. That was the the message Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar had for his teammates after South Africa’s disappointing start to the Confederations Cup.

The midfielder who played a central role in his Premier League side’s run to the FA Cup final, was sorely missed in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Iraq, ill health keeping him on the bench until the last five minutes.

The result has left the Confed Cup hosts in a hole of their own making – they need to take all three points in their next Group A game against New Zealand on Wednesday to keep them in the race for the semi-finals.

The good news for coach Joel Santana and Bafana Bafana’s fans is that Pienaar has recovered from his ailment and is expected to start in Rustenburg where his creative expertise will be warmly welcomed.

Assessing the hosts’ predicament in this warm up to next year’s World Cup the 27-year-old told fifa.com: “We are definitely disappointed because we expected a lot from this game (against Iraq).

“If you can get three points in the opening game, it normally takes a lot of pressure off a team.

“Now we have our backs against the wall. But we just have to stay focused and there’s still two games, so we’ll have to give everything then.”

He conceded South Africa had been poor in the first half against the well organised 2007 Asian Cup champions.

“It was difficult for the guys to break them down,” he said.

“We knew the first game was going to be difficult, everyone was expecting a win, so we’re just disappointed now. But I’m glad it’s over now and we can look forward to the next game, hopefully a bit more relaxed.”

Turning to his own level of readiness for Wednesday’s encounter with the All Whites Pienaar reported: “I was ill the whole week, that’s why I started on the bench. I feel much better now and things should be okay.”

Man of the match was Teko Modise who concurred with his midfield colleague.

“The next match will be very difficult because the pressure is getting higher and higher,” the hugely popular Orlando Pirates star stated.

“We need to secure the next six points available,” – no mean feat given waiting for them in Bloemfontain on Saturday are tournament favourites and European champions Spain.

Tags: ailment, asian cup, backs against the wall, bafana bafana, confed cup, confederations cup, creative expertise, cup champions, Don, fa cup final, first game, ill health, Iraq, Joel Santana, johannesburg, midfielder, modise, New Zealand, Orlando, playmaker, predicament, premier league, Rustenburg, semi finals, South Africa, Spain, steven pienaar, two games, World Cup

Confederations Cup preview: Brazil – Egypt

June 15, 2009

South American champions Brazil, one of the favorites to win the 2009 Confederations Cup, begin their campaign against Africa champions Egypt.

Brazil manager Dunga was able to select most top names for this match, although AC Milan’s Ronaldinho hasn’t been included. However, Kaka will be present, as well as players like Luis Fabiano and Robinho. The squad also includes seven players that normally feature in Brazil’s domestic league.

Although not the top favorite for this tournament, there will certainly be pressure on the ‘Seleçao’ as they are expected to survive this group phase without particular troubles. Surprised shouldn’t be ruled out however.

Egypt have to do without the influential but injured Amr Zaki, but the team does include Dortmund’s Mohamed Zidan and Mohamed Shawky of Middlesbrough. Coach Hassan Shehata selected mostly players that represent Egyptian club teams, with no less than 19 of 23 active in their home league.

Monday’s meeting is the first between these two sides since 1963, a friendly that Brazil won 1-0. The defending Confederations Cup champions will want a good result in this crucial opening game.

Group B’s first match starts at 4pm local time and is to be played in the city of Bloemfontein.

Written by: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: ac milan, Africa, american champions, amr, amr zaki, Bloemfontein, Brasil, brazil, confederations cup, cup champions, cup preview, dunga, Egypt, egyptian club, game group, group phase, hassan, Jonathan Roorda, luis fabiano, match, middlesbrough coach, Milan, mohamed shawky, mohamed zidan, ronaldinho, roorda, South American, Zaki

Sizzling Spain fire six-goal Confed Cup warning

June 10, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Spain fired a six-goal warning on Tuesday as the countdown to the June 14 kick-off of the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa continued.

Striker David Villa, reportedly on the wanted list of super spenders Real Madrid, performed a one-man sales pitch during the first half in Azerbaijan with a hat-trick that set up a 6-0 friendly triumph.

While pitting the country ranked first in the world against opponents who weigh in at number 140 might appear cruel, the sizzling Spaniards reeled off another victory without a hint of mercy.

Euro 2008 winners Spain inhabit what appears to be much the easier of the two Confederations Cup groups with hosts South Africa and the champions of Asia and Oceania, Iraq and New Zealand.

On the other side of the draw, World Cup holders Italy come face to face with defending Confederations Cup champions Brazil, and potentially dangerous ‘dark horses’ Egypt and the United States lurk in the background.

New Zealand, who have lost all six encounters in two previous Confederations Cup appearances with an embarrassing 2-17 goal tally, face Spain in the north-west mining town of Rustenburg on Sunday.

And when the score from Baku in the oil-rich east European state filters through to the ‘All Whites’ camp, it can only heighten fears that they are set to become the next victims of the Spanish armada.

Villa from cash-strapped Valencia demonstrated his predatory instincts by converting an Alvaro Albeloa cross, slamming home a shot from outside the penalty area, and converting a penalty when Cesc Fabregas was fouled.

Albert Riera, substitute Daniel Guiza and Liverpool goal machine Fernando Torres scored in the second half as Spain demonstrated why they are the most feared national football team in Europe.

It was much closer in Cape Town where Iraq scored first but had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Poland in their first competitive action under Serb Bora Milutinovic, who has coached five countries at the World Cup.

Mahdi Kareem half volleyed a cross from constant menace Hawar Mohammed into the Polish net on 54 minutes only for Brazil-born Roger Guerreiro to equalise with a shot that gave goalkeeper Noor Sabri no chance.

South Africa, who edged Poland 1-0 in Johannesburg last weekend, meet Iraq in the tournament opener at Ellis Park on Sunday with the winners expected to accompany Spain into the semi-finals.

Super Stadium in Atteridgeville outside Pretoria – host to numerous recent South Africa fixtures – will stage a friendly between Italy and New Zealand on Wednesday night.

This fixture presents a challenge for notoriously fickle South African football followers who must decide between attending the game in expected freezing winter conditions or watching it live on television.

The Confederations Cup began officially in 1999 and now serves as a four-yearly dress rehearsal for the World Cup, which South Africa hosts between June 11 and July 11 next year.