Group A: Uruguay win in style, Mexico stun France

After opening day draw all sides in Group A hope for their first win in the group, which would take them ahead in their quest for a pre-quarterfinal spot.

(to be updated after the second game)

South Africa 0-3 (0-1) Uruguay
Goals: 0-1,0-2 Diego Forlan (24',80' pen), 0-3 Alvaro Pereira (90+5').

The host South Africa are on their way out after a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Uruguay at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Hosts South Africa had their problems once again in the first session of the game, while Uruguay changed their formation a little with Diego Forlan pushed back into an attacking midfield position which did the trick for the South Americans. Forlan was one of the best players in the first game against France, but he was even more influential in today's game as the whole game of the Uru's revolved around him. And the Atletico Madrid striker scored the opening goal in the 24th minute when he tried a long-ranger from outside the box, which took a deflection of South African captain Aaron Mokoena's back and dropped into the goal over the head of stunned keeper Itumeleng Khune. Uruguayan striker striker Hugo Suarez also had a better game keeping the South African defenders on tender hooks and one of his shots nearly got Uruguay their second goals.

After the break Uruguay continued their dominance while the South Africans didnt find a way through the well-organised South Americans, but this changed a little towards the middle of the second session as South Africa had more of the ball but only once did they get a real scoring chance. Uruguay received a penalty in the 75th minute when South African goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune brought down Hugo Suarez in the box. Referee Massimo Busacca pointed to the spot and also gave Khune the marching orders as new keeper Moneeb Josephs came on. And Forlan crowned his performance with a placed shot to give Uruguay a 2-0 lead. The final nail in the coffin came in the fifth minute of injury time when Alvaro Pereira scored of a cross from Hugo Suarez, but by then a number of South African fans had left the stadium.


France 0-2 (0-0) Mexico
Goals: 0-1 Javier Hernandez (64'), 0-2 Cuauhtemoc Blanco (79' penalty).

The Equipe Tricolore can plan their trip back home to France after their 0-2 defeat at the hands of Mexico at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. The French are in crisis and this deepened tonight.

The match made a quick start but the chances were on the side of the Mexicans who focused on counter attacks allowing the French to control the game without being threatening. In the 8th minute Carlos Vela blasted the ball over the goal, before Franco missed a chance.

After the break Mexico realised that they could actually win this game against a weak French side. France did have their first chance in the 54th minute through Florant Malouda which Perez send over the crossbar, but it didn't change anything as Mexico remained the more dangerous side. In the 64th minute a Rafael Marquez through ball found Javier Hernandez in the open he went round Hugo Lloris to score into the open net as the France defence was hoping for an offside call by the referee. If one thought that France would now wake-up one would have been disappointed as Mexico continued to push for a second goal. And when Eric Abidal brought down Pablo Barrera referee Khalil Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi from Saudi Arabia pointed to the dreaded spot. Veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco would score the resultant penalty and the match was over as France simply had to answer and could have gone even further behind.