South Africa defeated 10-man France 2-1 on Tuesday but that still
made them the first World Cup hosts to go out in the group stage and also sent
home the shambolic Europeans.
Bongani Khumalo headed home a corner-kick
20 minutes into the game and Katlego Mphela made it 2-0 in the 37th as the hosts
hoped for a miracle to make the round of 16, but failed to get the bigger win
they needed.
Substitute Florent Malouda tapped home with 20 minutes left
to silence the Free State Stadium crowd. France earlier had playmaker Yoann
Gourcuff sent off in the 26th for elbowing in an aerial duel.
Uruguay
defeated Mexico 1-0 in the other game which saw the South Americans first in the
group and Mexico second by two goals over South Africa, with France last without
a win as in their 2002 exit.
Les Bleus made even more negative headlines
off the pitch with striker Nicolas Anelka sent home for insulting the unpopular
outgoing coach Raymond Domenech and the players on strike on Sunday over
it.
Domenech rang the changes after the last tumultous days, benching
several players led by captain Patrice Evra who had led the protests against the
sending home of Anelka.
Gael Clichy took the defensive place of Evra
while up front Djibril Cisse came on for Anelka, and the allegedly unpopular
Gourcuff back in the starting 11.
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto
Parreira also had a new lineup, including goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, in place
of suspended Itumeleng Khune - as the hosts hoped for a miracle to stay alive
and follow the proud tradition of World Cup hosts to make the second
stage.
France dominated early without really threatening, but South
Africa's opening goal still came out of the blue in the 20th.
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris blundered as he missed Siphiwe Tshabalala's corner and Khumalo
leaped over Arsenal defender Abou Diaby, deflecting the ball over the line with
his shoulder.
Mphela aimed inches left from outside the area five minutes
later and the Europeans were down to 10 men another 60 ticks on when Colombian
referee Oscar Ruiz gave a straight red card to Gourcuff for swinging his elbow
into the face of MacBeth Sibaya as they both rose for a header.
Gourcuff
left stoney-faced while Domenech buried his head in his hands, aware that his
side was not one for a miracle.
Mphela tapped home against Clichy for 2-0
after France failed to clear a first cross as the vuvuzelas went into overdrive
- even more as Uruguay had by then also taken the lead against
Mexico.
The lively striker Mphela continued to torment the French defence
after the break to get a vital third goal, denied by the right post after
Tshabalala's defence-splitter, forcing a super save from Lloris and then just
wide from a tight right angle.
The hosts paid for these missed chances
when Barcelona forward Thierry Henry finally came on for Cisse and together with
Franck Ribery instilled some life into France.
Les Bleus then got their
first goal of the tournament when Malouda, one of those punished by Domenech
with an early place on the bench, tapped into the empty net after nice work from
Ribery on the right side.
The stadium fell silent and all the faintest
hopes died when Tshabalala, the man who had scored against Mexico in the
tournament opener on June 11, was denied in stoppage time.