Well done lads, you've driven Fabio Capello crazy: Why England won't win the World Cup

IT must be great to be foreign. Not English I mean. I’ve spent the last month trying to explain why the British tabloids talk such nonsense about South Africa. Now we've started picking on ourselves.

Today, Fabio Capello learned what I’ve learned. The voracious English press has no morals, no limits. They just do what they want, doesn’t matter about the national need for a World Cup victory after 44 years of hurt.

As long as they can get another exclusive snap, a paper-selling exclusive, they will do anything. Just ask John Terry or Ashley Cole.

Today at the England’s luxurious Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus, England’s Italian Generalissimo finally lost it. He shouted at the endless clicking of the photographers, asking them: “WHY, WHY do you need to take a picture of the dressing rooms? WHY?”

His outburst came after the snappers had snapped at the heels of the England side as they went on a game drive in the neighbouring Pilanesburg Nature Reserve, the morning after a very mediocre performance against local club Platinum Stars at the local Maruleng Stadium.

Frankly, they were rubbish. They won 3-0 but nobody was fooled. Local coach Gavin Hunt, who has won the last three South African Premier League titles with Supersports United, described them as “rubbish”.

And poor old Fabio, attempting to get his lads to focus despite the threat of the tabloids – Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard all live in fear of the daily revelations – cannot escape the attentions of Her Majesty’s scribes. The FA called it a "gross invasion of privacy".

Here’s what Marc Aspland, the Times photographer has to say: “Yesterday’s problems can be traced back to Tuesday afternoon, when the England players went on safari.

“Capello got out of the wrong side of bed and I am sure it was a factor in what followed. A t the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus the hotel is a little way from another building where the players get changed before training. Normally the photographers line up outside and wait for the players and Capello to come out.

"Capello and his staff are usually on the pitch by the time we get set up because he is extremely punctual. But yesterday we got there first and could see through one of the windows that Michael Dawson was having a massage.

"When Capello came out of the building and saw all of our cameras pointing that way he assumed we were taking pictures of Dawson and lost his temper. It was a massive overreaction to the situation — none of us was taking any pictures. It was a proper, red-blooded, Italian rant.”

None of us was taking any pictures? A Times journalist who can’t even speak grammatical English. It’s appalling. Send them home. Let England’s players enjoy this tournament. Stop this hysterical madness.

Before a ball has been kicked, the other 31 nations at this World Cup have an advantage over England. Because they have a reasonable, decent media following. They want their nation to win this tournament. Already, Terry has lost the captaincy through the hysteria. Ashley Cole is a shadow of the man who became the best left-back in the world two years ago. Gerrard is under constant pressure.

Leave them alone lads. Help us to win the World Cup. Don’t mess Fabio and England’s finest around. The nation deserves better than a pack of jackals. You make me ashamed.

Video of the Capello rant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNPo6AF1Loac

The man who stands between South Africa and an opening disaster: Itumeleng Khune

ONE man stands between South Africa and a devastating opening defeat when the Rainbow Nation finally shows its true colours at Soccer City on Friday.

If Mexico are going to ruin the World Cup fever sweeping this nation, Itumeleng Khune – armed only with hope and a pair of gloves – is the man assigned to stop them.

On paper, it has to be El Tri, as the Mexicans know their team. They’re ranked 17th to South Africa’s 83rd in the world by FIFA. They have been strong in qualifying and boast a galaxy of stars (watch for Manchester United’s newest signing Javier Hernandez, West Ham’s Guillermo Franco and Arsenal's Carlos Vela up front and former Spurs midfielder Giovanni dos Santos) who would take the mediocre South Africa Premier League by storm.

But Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Khune, after witnessing 180,000 Vuvuzela-venting fans greet the team bus in Sandton yesterday, is having none of it. The 22-year-old, 5ft 11in stopper says: “Mexico should be worried about us. I think anything is possible with the nation behind us. We are more than ready for this World Cup. We will go out there to do our best for the country.”

He certainly has what every goalkeeper requires. Safe hands. As the son of a miner in Tshing, just outside Ventersdorp, he was ready to become a cricketer. One of six children, Khune idolised the South African cricketers – and still enjoys watching the Proteas. He says: “Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener used to be my favourites when I was growing up. Back in Ventersdorp we used to have a rubbish bin as the wickets and use a spade as the bat.”

He only chose football at the tender age of 12 when Kaizer Chiefs – South Africa’s best-supported club - came calling in 1999. Khune recalls: “When we were kids we used to gather at a disused hall before classes and kick a tennis ball around. After school it was the same thing.”

Travelling to the Chiefs academy was a problem. He said: “My parents were not happy because I would only arrive home late at night. Sometimes I had to sleep at the train station as I couldn’t get home. There wasn’t food, there wasn’t money, but we had to accept the situation.”

Khune was a defender back then. He did well in trials – chosen as the 32^nd best player on the day, that’s still the number he wears - but chest problems relegated him to ball boy status. And his enthusiastic diving for the loose ball attracted the attention of Chiefs’ veteran goalkeeper Brian Baloyi “my mentor, on and off the field”. By 2004, aged 17, he was training with the first team.

Three years later, Khune got the nod as Chiefs’ regular No1 when Rowen Fernandez left for Germany’s Arminia Bielefeld and Emile Baron was forced out by injury. He made his local Premier Soccer League debut against Jomo Cosmos in 2007 and immediately impressed, forcing his way into the national squad where he made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2008.

A broken finger put Khune out for three months this season but World Cup-winning Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has stuck with the lad who famously saved a penalty from David Villa during last year’s Confederations Cup.

Khune prepares to add to his 29 caps by defying Mexico – who are rapidly followed by Uruguay and France in a difficult Group A. The hosts have never failed to qualify for the knock-out stages at a World Cup but Khune insists: “Mexico should be worried about us as the hosts and we shouldn't be worried about them.

"We can go out there and upset these countries. It will be nice to take all the nine points in the group stage, but we have to realise the other countries won't make it easy for us."

I’ve watched Khune in all five pre-World Cup friendly matches since then, often with former South Africa goalkeeper Deshi Bhaktawer beside me. We had our doubts. He was groggy after an early clash in the 2-1 win over Colombia a fortnight ago and was taken off at half-time. But last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Denmark in Atteridgeville was a major turning point for the slightly lightweight goalkeeper and most of his colleagues.

While super-fit midfielders Siphile Tshabala, Teko Modise and Reneilwe YeYe Letsholonyane outshone their illustrious counterpart Steven Pienaar, Khune was near-perfect against the great big Danes in goal, failing to claim just one cross and looking generally composed. His distribution, innovative and rapid, has to be seen to be believed – a real lesson for any aspiring custodian.

South Africa go into the opening game on a high. They are unbeaten in 12 games since Parreira agreed to return to the hottest seat in football, they are fitter than any side I’ve seen – some of the players have lost 6kg (over two stone) since the first harsh training camp in Brazil three months ago.

Like Guus Hiddink’s ferociously fit hosts South Korea in 2002, Parreira has chosen the “fit as a robber’s dog” philosophy too. And remember, Korea got to the last four eight years ago.

Khune, like the rest of this football-mad nation, is starting to believe. He said: "We have the advantage of our home supporters, those who will be blowing the vuvuzelas at the stadium and the whole nation will be behind us. We have to believe we can win all three group games."

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his first novel, A GAME APART, which has hit No15 on Amazon's African best-sellers list. For more information, see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Readers may be interested in this USA Today piece, published yesterday: http://content.usatoday.com/community/comments.aspx?id=38793306.story&p=2

Exclusive video footage of Monday night’s England friendly see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5CX4pb8Xmo.

Remember, it's never too late to book a flight and come see this World Cup for yourself. You'll be safe, secure... and you'll love it!