Day one

Six injured in Cape Town

Six people were injured in a crowd crush at Cape Town’s main World Cup fan zone yesterday when thousands of fans attempted to get into the venue, a city spokesman said. “People were anxious to get in and just surged ahead. Fortunately it was a contained incident and calm was restored quickly,” city spokesman Pieter Cronje said.

All the injured were South African and officials have prevented people from entering the fan zone at Cape Town’s historic Grand Parade, where Nelson Mandela delivered his first speech as a free man after his release from prison in 1990.

At least 15 people were injured last Sunday when fans tried to force their way into a match between Nigeria and North Korea. Excitement among South Africans is reaching fever pitch with the host nation’s opening game against Mexico in Johannesburg due off at 3pm (Irish time) today.

Blatter to stand for fourth term

FIFA PRESIDENT Sepp Blatter has confirmed he will stand for re-election for a fourth term at next year’s Congress – and would not rule out running for a fifth term in office at the end of that.

Blatter confirmed his intention to run again yesterday at the 60th Fifa Congress, and will now seek another term in office – possibly unchallenged.

He said: “I have said that I’m still motivated – not only motivated, I want to do it, I will.

“I will go for another one and I want it to be transparent. Let’s go and see.

But I cannot say if it’s the last one – you never know.”

Blatter once again defended Fifa’s position on goal-line technology, accepting that the decision not to introduce it was a “conservative” one but insisting it was not always a bad thing to be conservative.

Australia pull out of 2018 race

ENGLAND’S OPPONENTS to host the 2018 World Cup have been cut to four rival bids after Australia announced they have pulled out to concentrate on a challenge for the tournament in 2022.

Only USA still remain as a non-European bidder for 2018 although they will now be under intense pressure to target 2022 alone which would leave the field open for England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium to battle it out.

It has been mooted for months that 2018 is likely to go to Europe so Football Federation Australia’s decision is not a huge surprise.

Skrtel continues his recovery

SLOVAKIA’S MARTIN Skrtel is nearing fitness as he continues his recovery from injury.

The 25-year-old Liverpool defender has been unable to train with his team-mates since their arrival in South Africa on Wednesday, but is expected to step up his work today as coach Vladimir Weiss prepares for next Tuesday’s opening Group F clash with New Zealand in Rustenburg.

Asked about his squad, Weiss said: “All are healthy, although Martin Skrtel still on Wednesday prepared individually.

“But he is now almost completely healthy and on Friday, he will no longer be training without the ball.”