I wonder what price you would have gotten for Brett Holman to be first goal scorer yesterday?

While I am a relatively avid punter, since I arrived in Jo'burg I haven't logged on to my online gaming account and didn't take the free shuttle to Johannesburg casino a couple of nights ago.

But while chatting to those on the ground here in South Africa yesterday as to who might score for the Socceroos at Royal Bafokeng, numerous fans predicted the highly criticised Holman to grab glory against the Ghanaians.

Should one of put more thought into it, Holman would have been an obvious choice on whom to lay a lazy ‘clipper' (100 Rand).

Since and including the MCG Kiwi contest, only four Aussies have managed to bulge the onion bag. Holman and Vidosic - of whom the latter was destined, we heard, to start on the bench -, Kennedy (also on the pine), and Tim Cahill (suspended).

Kewell and Bresciano were other reputable candidates and of whom leaked line up goss indicated would be starting, but with only a handful of games between them since Christmas it would have taken a brave better to back either.

Instead, Holman, whose reputation has boomed amongst Socceroo supporters in recent weeks benefited from what City Press scribe Timothy Molobi called on Sunday "the curse of Rustenburg Stadium after what happened to Robert Green there last week".

With Richard Kingson spilling what should have been a routine save, we can thank our lucky black stars that Holman held his composure to ensure we maintain even the slimmest of chances of progressing to the round of 16 should we smash the Serbs and other results rest in our favour.

Mind you, the local pundits don't fancy our chances of overcoming the odds at all, with Let's Go 2010 World Cup supplement saying the Serbs "are certain to defeat the Socceroos".

If we're to prove the local journalists wrong, we'll need Holman firing on all cylinders in Nelspruit.

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On Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, I must admit I have never been to a stadium in such an obscure position and place in my life.

Granted, I didn't venture to Tashkent like some hardcores and haven't flown the flag in other out there places, but if there was ever a stadium to remind you you were in Africa, Royal Bafokeng is it.

Within 500 metres walk of the stadium are small huts built on dirt, with disadvantaged kids lining the streets to wave to the rush of visitors who enter and exit via the only road in and out of the township. A man with a bucket of water and some detergent offers cheap car washes from underneath a sketchy looking tarpaulin set up.

I found it brilliant to be reminded of the reality that the World Cup will leave behind and even more pleasant to learn local tribes in Rustenburg helped fund the impressive structure due to their negotiations with big wig platinum miners who share the royalties stemming from their explorations in the regions with the local people.

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Finally, I'd have to concur with City Press writer Siyabulela Qoza who wrote today about the lack of security around World Cup Stadiums.

While I haven't felt unsafe yet in my time in South Africa, it is true that anyone could take almost anything into the World Cup grounds.

Qoza wrote that "because the FIFA circus is in town, I expected that the security measures to get into the stadium would be tighter". Me too.

You barely get touched and only once have I had to empty my pockets. Bags are barely and rarely investigated.

I hope the lax measures don't come back to bite what's been an otherwise impressive all round effort from Africa.