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Frozen pitches at Ghanas World Cup training base north of Rustenburg caused their practice session on Thursday to be delayed for two hours...

Frozen turfs delay training

Rustenburg: Frozen pitches at Ghanas World Cup training base north of Rustenburg caused their practice session on Thursday to be delayed for two hours. The West Africans were scheduled to start a private training session at nine in the morning but were told that the pitches at the Mogwase Stadium would be unfit for use. Ghana Football Association vice-president Fred Pappoe told the Ghana website: We were informed early this morning that we had to reschedule training due to the freezing conditions. The pitch is frozen and it has to be cleared. Temperatures in Rustenburg,where Ghana meet Australia on Saturday in a Group D encounter,have fluctuated dramatically in the last week. A week ago,in sunny conditions,they reached 25 degrees Celsius,but this week have fallen overnight to minus five as winter has taken a grip on the North-West province.

Cahill ban stays: FIFA

Johannesburg: Australias Tim Cahill on Thursday received the minimum one-match ban for a straight red card against Germany,leaving him available for the final World Cup Group D match against Serbia.

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However,the Socceroos top goal scorer will miss Saturdays match against Ghana which they must at least draw to leave a realistic chance of remaining in the tournament. Australia were beaten 4-0 by Germany,with Cahill sent off for a foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger early in the second half. The one-match suspension was the minimum punishment that FIFA could have imposed on the player. Cahills absence could see Harry Kewell,returning from a long-standing groin injury,in the starting line-up to help press for goals.

Cannons used to subdue fans

Santiago: Police used tear gas and water cannons to subdue rowdy Chile fans and arrested 81 people in the capital Santiago on Wednesday after the countrys first World Cup win in nearly 50 years,officials said. Police said they detained the supporters mainly for public disorder in downtown Santiago,where fans massed in red national jerseys blowing trumpets and waving flags as they watched Chile beat Honduras 1-0 in their World Cup opener in South Africa. Soccer is the most popular sport in Chile and major fixtures can sometimes spark street brawls. Chiles victory came 48 years to the day after they last won a World Cup match a 1-0 win in a third-place playoff against Yugoslavia on home soil in 1962.

Marchetti is real lucky

Irene: Its easy to believe Italys new starting goalkeeper when he says he has luck on his side. Federico Marchetti had already lost his two best friends to auto accidents when he and two teammates at fourth-division side Pro Vercelli emerged uninjured from an auto accident themselves five years ago. When you stare death in the face,it leaves something inside you, Marchetti said. Its tough to describe. It was a terrible experience but one that Ill never forget. Since the accident,Marchetti has climbed his way to the top division and become a member of Italys national team. Now,with first-choice goalkeeper Gianlugi Buffon out due to a herniated disk,the 27-year-old Marchetti has the biggest chance of his life in Sundays World Cup match against New Zealand.

Morumbi Stadium dropped

Johannesburg: Organizers of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil say Sao Paulo will remain a host city even though Morumbi stadium has been dropped because of financial issues. Organizers and FIFA say they will work with South Americas biggest city to try to find an alternative even though the deadline for stadium projects has passed. The president of the Brazilian football confederation says its inadmissible to have a World Cup in Brazil without the presence of Sao Paulo.

Pirlo recovering well

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Irene: Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo is recovering well from a left calf injury and could return for his teams final World Cup group match against Slovakia. Pirlo began training with a ball Thursday for the first time since getting injured in a warmup against Mexico on June 3. Pirlo underwent an MRI on Wednesday and team physician Enrico Castellacci said his recovery was on schedule. Pirlo will likely remain on the sidelines when Italy faces New Zealand in its second Group F match on Sunday before playing four days later.