Before the competition began goalkeepers were queuing up to suggest there would be goals galore because they were finding it difficult to read the flight and bounce of the ball.

Now, however, it is being criticised for being too difficult for outfield players to keep under control and to find the precision necessary to cross and shoot accurately, especially at altitude.

The Jabulani is made by adidas, whose head of PR Thomas Schaikvan told Press Association Sport: "If you go back in the archive I think you'll see that people said there were going to be too many goals, and now there are no goals it is the ball's fault - what are people going to blame the ball for next?

"These are the best players in the world, the ball is not difficult to control at all - it is round. In a week a top footballer could play with four different balls - in the Premier League, then an international, then a cup game then the Champions League for example. They are used to using different balls."

Eighteen goals were scored in the first 11 matches of the competition, compared to 27 at this point in 2006 and 31 in 2002.

The Jabulani weighs 440 grams and meets all FIFA requirements in terms of weight, circumference, bounce and water resistance.