Capello retains hope over Cole

Fabio Capello is crossing his fingers that Ashley Cole recovers from his broken ankle in time to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The Chelsea left-back underwent surgery yesterday on an injury picked up at Everton on Wednesday that is set to keep him out for three months.

If that timescale is correct, the only Blues matches he would be available for would be the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals, should the club get that far. It would give Capello a headache as Cole would have had no match practice heading into the last two friendlies before departure for South Africa. In all likelihood, the Italian would trust the naturally fit 29-year-old, who most regard as one of England's true world-class talents.

Domenech sets Vieira proviso

Raymond Domenech has declared that Patrick Vieira will captain France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, provided the Manchester City midfielder manages to get a run of matches under his belt.

The 33-year-old last week featured in his first two matches since returning to the Premier League in January with the aim of forcing his way back into the Les Bleus squad.

Vieira had been growing increasingly frustrated at his lack of playing time at Inter Milan. The former Arsenal player was left out of the France squad for their crunch qualifying play-off with Republic of Ireland, but Domenech has insisted the veteran will almost certainly be on the plane to South Africa if he remains fit.

If he gets a run of matches, Patrick Vieira will be the captain of the France team and that's it. There's not even a debate.France coach Raymond Domenech
"If he gets a run of matches, Patrick Vieira will be the captain of the France team," he told Orange Sport. "He has just started playing again. Don't do what you normally do: a player has a good match, so he has to be in the France team; then he has a bad match, so you have to drop him.

Hard work pays off for Vera

“He plays the same way he lives.” That description perfectly sums up Paraguay’s Enrique Vera, a hard-working midfielder who has quietly become a vital cog in the Albirroja side that clinched a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Though Vera is about to contest his first world finals at the age of 30, that is not what makes his such a fascinating story. On the point of giving up the game altogether, he then toyed with the idea of pulling on the yellow shirt of Ecuador. FIFA.com reveals the reasons why as Vera prepares to make his entrance on the biggest stage of all.

Life’s little ups and downs
When he took his first steps in professional football, Vera had to divide his time between training, working and studying. “I began playing for Resistencia in the Paraguayan second division in 1999 and I only got to play a couple of games in the top flight for Sol de America,” he explains. “I tried my luck in Argentina, Switzerland and the UAE even. Then, in 2004 I got an offer from Aucas of Ecuador. I said to myself, ‘If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go and get a job and play in the local leagues’. Luckily, though, I made the most of the chances that came my way after that.”

Legends fuel FIFA World Cup fever

It is a climax experienced quadrennially and enjoyed incomparably. It is one that only the FIFA World Cup™ can deliver.

With the competition’s 19th instalment only 122 days away from kick-off, anticipation is building intensely among football enthusiasts. "Although some critical voices continue to make themselves heard, I have long been convinced that this will be a successful World Cup", said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter at the latest FIFA Football Committee meeting yesterday. A series of footballing legends also expressed their excitement to FIFA.com.

The anticipation is huge. It will be an African World Cup and I'm really looking forward to it, because it’s going to be very colourful and very entertaining.Franz Beckenbauer
“The anticipation is huge,” enthused Franz Beckenbauer, “It’s been this way since the Final Draw in December, when we found out who would be playing who. It will be an African World Cup and I'm really looking forward to it, because it’s going to be very colourful and very entertaining.”

Cameroonian great Roger Milla revealed his ecstasy that Africa is being given the opportunity to play host to the tournament. “In Africa, we are so happy to have received this World Cup - we could not believe we would get it. Every time I come to Zurich, I thank President Blatter for that,” he said.

Mavric: We can reach last 16

When Slovenia compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, it will be only their second appearance at global football's top table. On their previous outing at Korea/Japan 2002, then-coach Srecko Katanec's side crashed out at the group stage after defeats by Spain, Paraguay and South Africa.

Slovenia are determined to set the record straight this time round, however, with their confidence boosted by a qualification campaign which included victories over Czech Republic and Poland, as well as UEFA EURO 2008 semi-finalists Russia in the European Zone play-offs.

"It's a great feeling to know you're going to the World Cup," centre-back Matej Mavric, 31, told FIFA.com. "For me, qualifying was my biggest achievement as a player. It was hard work. No one thought we'd do so well at the beginning of the campaign, but we saw our chance and grabbed it with both hands.

It's a great feeling to know you're going to the World Cup. We want to stay in the tournament as long as possible and not have to go home after three matches - that's our main aim.Slovenia defender Matej Mavric
"It was very difficult right from the start, especially with the problems we were having in defence. With time, though, we improved and managed to qualify for the play-offs. Russia are a very good team with some exceptional players, but we were confident, had that bit of luck you need and managed to get there in the end. We have a very close-knit squad and everyone fights for one another. That was the basis for our success in qualifying for South Africa.