South Africa deflated over Bafana Bafana's World Cup fate

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Two weeks ago, Johannesburg was on fire for Bafana Bafana.

South Africa's national team was, no doubt, a team of destiny, and as you drove around the city, there were rolling flags, horns honking, and jerseys everywhere.

But after last week's 3-0 loss to Uruguay, the country endured a time of mourning as it figured out how to continue supporting Bafana Bafana-as well as the rest of the World Cup.

The hotel service staff went from wearing its gold-and-yellow Adidas jerseys to returning to its standard uniform dress of gray and white.

On Tuesday, South Africa plays France, with the host nation's team needing a big-time victory - coupled with the necessary result coming out of the Mexico vs. Uruguay match - to advance.

The chances of getting to the knockout rounds are slim, but President Jacob Zuma spoke to his country in advance of Tuesday's game.

"South Africans are already winners," Zuma told the Johannesburg newspaper the Sowetan. "We won on 15 May 2004 when the announcement was made, declaring us as the hosts. The whole world is looking at us and applauding our success so far as hosts."

Luckily for South Africa, France has stopped training and seems less than committed to this World Cup.

Spotted. German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger was seen shopping at Nelson Mandela Square with an entourage of four. The midfielder was wearing a black trucker hat and was accompanied by two women and two men, one clearly a bodyguard and concerned about crowds approaching Schweinsteiger - which could have been an issue if Nelson Mandela Square had been filled with avid Bayern Munich fans.

Despair in London. The English papers are trying to decode how their national team is on the verge of an epic World Cup collapse, possibly not even advancing out of Group C. Here's this informative bit from the Telegraph: "Fabio Capello's refusal to make clear his No. 1 choice before the World Cup created tension. The manager did not let Rob Green know he would play until hours before the USA match, which some believe helped unsettle the West Ham man."

Ardent devotion. The love affair evolving between Argentina star Lionel Messi and Argentina coach and former star Diego Maradona reaches new heights each day. On Monday, Maradona announced that he would play Messi in the team's final group match despite already having advanced with two victories and not needing Messi.

"Messi will play, because he always wants to play and I love that," Maradona told the media. "We had been thinking of giving him a rest, but to have a player of the class of Leo, the best in the world by a long way without doubt, it would have been a sin not to give him to the team, to the people, not give ourselves" the pleasure.

Come on, really?

Red alert. Sani Kaita, the Nigerian soccer play who received a red card in the team's eventual 2-1 loss to Greece over the weekend, has been assigned a bodyguard after receiving death threats, this according to South African police.

Kaita was sent off in the first half, with his team leading 1-0 and seemingly in control of the victory.

"The team security liaison officer with the Nigerian team has been requested to pay close attention to Mr. Kaita and to ensure that the stringent security measures already in place are sustained," said Brigadier Sally de Beer in a statement.