WITH their network on the ground in South Africa and back in Oz, FourFourTwo Australia has the news of the World Cup covered.
But for a slightly different take on things, their kind crew have permitted me to peruse the Jo'burg and South African press in order to give readers an insight into what the local scribes are saying about the Socceroos and festival of football happening in the rainbow nation.
As such, I'll be picking up a couple of the national and local papers daily, and every couple of days transmitting some of the news stemming from some of the frenzied Johannesburg newsrooms over the next three weeks.
With kick off for the big event now just a few hours away, it's fair to say the South African media have produced a plethora of material pertinent to Bafana Bafana's clash with Mexico this afternoon.
Scouring The Sowetan, The Sun and The Times this morning, it's difficult to find a page that doesn't have a story on soccer, such is the grip of football fever on this nation right now. It's beautiful to witness.
Today, there's little coverage of the Socceroos specifically, however a piece by Ramatsiyi Moholoa in The Sowetan outlines Ghana's ambitious plan to reach the semi-finals.
Quoting Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari, Moholoa writes that Germany are clear favourites to top the group, concluding that the battle for second spot is down merely to two - Serbia and the Black Stars.
"It goes without saying that Germany will start as favourites in Group D to qualify for the second round, but we are eyeing the second spot but will have to brush aside Serbia," Muntari said.
Moholoa goes on to say the combination of Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez for the Deutsch "should be too strong for the Socceroos". We'll see...
Page three of The Times offers some Socceroo related coverage too, with Harriet McLea detailing the arrival of John Travolta to support the Socceroos, having flown his Boeing 707 from Buenos Aires to Johannesburg yesterday.
I'm sure the PR folk at Qantas would have had this news beaming around Oz, but it's interesting to see the pulling power of a celebrity for any cause and in turn it's awesome to note the Socceroos nabbed a mention so prominently in the South African press this morning - albeit an indirect one.
"The last time I went and saw the team (the Socceroos) in their change-room, I think they were more excited about having Danny Zuko [Travolta's character from Grease] than getting into the World Cup," Travolta joked.
Due to travel issues to Durban, it probably won't be possible to give game day coverage of the Saffa scribes thoughts of the Socceroos on Sunday, but check back Monday where I'll look to post some of their reactions from the Group D date.
Till then, enjoy. The vuvuzelas are calling...
Ke Nako Bafana and the Socceroos!
