“For all the concern that South Africa, the country, will not be prepared to host the 2010 World Cup, it was South Africa, the team, that took action. The Bafana Bafana fired its Brazilian coach, Joel Santana, on Monday after losing eight of its last nine games. The enthusiasm South African fans felt after the team’s one Confederations Cup victory last summer was erased many times, most recently by Iceland.” (NYT)