Not wanting to wake my room-mates up I slipped out of the room and headed to a conference room further down the floor. The phone rang as I was en route there and had no time to think about what I was wearing until I was live on air and the chill started to hit me. The temperature couldn't have been much above freezing and once my just got up bed warmth had gone I realised I was standing there in my boxer shorts and a t shirt and rapidly freezing. It was a long 15 minute interview that end with me running back to the bedroom to the warmth and another hour in bed before getting up to prepare for the trip to Rustenburg.

Our convoy of seven coaches made good time to Rustenburg Golf Club where we arrived around 11am for our pre-match function. We counted around ten tombstone shops in the Rustenburg high street which was a bit weird and led to the inevitable joke that we hoped this wasn't where our World Cup was going to die. Some lads immediately headed for the nearby driving range, some pulled out a couple of footballs for an impromptu kick about and many watched the Wallabies take on England in the bar. Some, myself included pulled up a seat in the sunshine and began to warm up for the game with some nicely priced $1 bottles of Castle beer. The general consensus was that we couldn't play any worse than we had against Germany and that given the situation we had to name a more attack-minded line-up with Kewell sure to start.

Sure enough Harry's name got the biggest cheer when the teams were read out at the stadium as a large contingent of Aussies warmed up for the game with lashings of Budweiser and few songs to open the lungs. We took our seats on the upper tier bathed in late afternoon sunshine. Dotted throughout the Aussie contingent were Ghanaians and local South Africans who were largely supporting Ghana given they are the best placed African nation to progress. The game couldn't have started any better with another rousing rendition of the national anthem and an early goal from Brett Holman following another keeper spill from a Bresc free kick. It was at this point Paul nipped to the toilet. In the minutes he was gone Ghana drew level from the penalty and Kewell was sent off. Upon his return I updated Paul on the events and he genuinely didn't believe me. He checked with others around me to confirm I wasn't winding him up. After all the column inches back home on Harry it now seems likely his World Cup contribution will amount to 24 minutes and a red card. The referee moved straight for his pocket and appeared in no doubt. A quick text exchange with my Dad in the UK confirmed it was probably a red - certainly if the referee gives the penalty for handball he then has to send the player off.

And so for the second time Australia found themselves down to 10 men but this time they had an hour to hold out in a game they really needed to win or at the very least avoid defeat. What followed was the complete opposite of what we'd seen against Germany. The Socceroos continued to attack searching for the win showing great character and ability to keep Ghana at bay for an hour whilst a man down but also create their own chances to win the game. Luke Wilkshire had a golden opportunity to wrap up what would have been one of the all time great backs-to-the-walls victories. Of course Ghana had chances to win the game too but in the end no one left the stadium disappointed with either the result but more importantly with the heart and effort shown. This was the Socceroos we came to see and when Pim finally released the shackles the Socceroos showed they can play after nearly a week here of being labelled by many in the media here as the worst team at the World Cup.

  

And so Australia's World Cup involvement will go to the third game when after 24 minutes yesterday most people would have said it wouldn't. We live to fight another day. A win against Serbia will put Australia on four points and the same record of one win, own draw and one defeat they had in 2006. However, unlike 2006 that record may not be enough to progress to the round of 16 and the four goals shipped to Germany may well come back to haunt them. But we head to Nelspruit on Wednesday hopeful of another strong showing, hopeful we can keep eleven men on the pitch and hopeful Tim Cahill comes back with a point to prove and maybe, just maybe he could fire us into the last 16 in the most unlikely of circumstances.

In the closing stages of the game came the highlight of my World Cup trip so far as all the South African fans around us started singing what I've since found out is a well known song heard at many club and national team games here. It was a unique moment as they all got to their feet and swayed waving their vuvuzelas towards the pitch whilst singing. And it was a song, not a chant - it was way more musical than that. It was a genuinely moving moment for me having watched football in many places around the world I felt lucky to have experienced this uniquely African way of supporting football and I felt thankful that football has progressed beyond the days of strict segregation of supporters to allow us to share this moment with the local fans. Luckily I had my camera to hand to share this with you here...