Preview:
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium hosts the teams ranked first and fourth in the world, in a fascinating quarter-final encounter. Will it be jogo bonito versus total football, or winning ugly at the expense of the beautiful game?

Brazil and the Netherlands have come to South Africa to win, not to entertain. Pragmatic, workmanlike and efficient may be dirty words in both countries, but coaches Dunga and Bert van Marwijk aren’t listening. “We came here to win,” said Van Marwijk. “If we can win with beautiful football then fine, but I said when I took this job that we would also have to learn how to win ugly games.”

Live Streams:

Preview:
This quarter-final brings together a former football superpower hoping to recapture past glories and an emerging nation looking to write their place in World Cup history. Victory for Uruguay would take them through to their first semi-final since 1970, while Ghana can become the first African side to reach the last four.

Uruguay’s two World Cup wins, in 1930 and 1950, came before Ghana had even gained independence from Great Britain. That level of success was always likely to prove short-lived for a country of just 3.5m people, but this tournament has presented the Uruguayans with a golden chance to re-establish themselves on the global stage.

Live Streams:

Preview:

Live Streams:

Preview:

Live Streams:

Preview:
Uruguay and France had a tough route to this year’s finals with both sides progressing via the play-offs – the latter rather controversially.
France have a strength throughout their side with young starlets Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema aided by the older heads of Thierry Henry and William Gallas.
Uruguay possess a dangerous forward line of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez but could struggle if the French play together as a unit.

Live Streams:

Key players –
South Africa: Steven Pienaar, Aaron Mokoena
Mexico: Rafael Marquez, Giovani Dos Santos, Andres Guardado

Live Streams:

Preview:
Holders Italy begin their defence of the title they won in 2006 against Paraguay at the stunning Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.
While Azzuri coach Marcello Lippi, who stands down after the tournament, will expect his team to win comfortably they should treat their South American opponents with respect.
The Paraguayans impressed in qualification and boast a potent attack, featuring Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz, Oscar Cardozo of Benfica and Nelson Haedo Valdez of Borussia Dortmund.

Live Streams:

Preview:
New Zealand and Slovakia get their World Cup campaigns underway with a first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Minnows New Zealand – featuring former Scotland youth player Michael McGlinchey – are the tournament’s rank outsiders. Any hopes of making an impact in South Africa rest on getting off to a flying start.
Slovakia emerged from Northern Ireland’s qualifying group thanks to a solid defence and an ability to grind out victories in tight matches – a trend that could well continue in Rustenburg.

Live Streams:

Preview:
The so-called Group of Death gets underway with a mouthwatering match between the silky skills of Portugal and the dangerous strikeforce of Ivory Coast.
Two of the tournament’s biggest stars in Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba will attract much of the attention, but in truth both teams are packed with pedigree.
While Portugal might have been firm favourites for this tie four years ago, many of their ‘golden generation’ have bowed out, and their shaky defence will be tested by Chelsea teammates Drogba and Soloman Kalou.

Live Streams:

Preview:
Brazil are always provide colour and entertainment when the World Cup comes around, but in their first match in South Africa many will be more interested in what kind of challenge North Korea can possibly give them.
It’s the Communist nation’s first time at the finals since 1966, when they pulled off one of the upsets of the century with their 1-0 win over Italy.
But having scraped through an arduous qualifying campaign and currently ranked 106th in the World by FIFA, the North Koreans are unlikely to trouble one of the tournament’s firm favourites.

Live Streams: