The captains of the four countries participating in the Asia Cup

The captains of the four countries participating in the Asia Cup, which begins in Dambulla on Tuesday, have said the tournament is ideal for their World Cup preparations, in terms of identifying the right blend of youth and experience and building confidence.

Unlike the last edition in Pakistan in 2008, this one features only the four Test-playing Asian nations and no Associates, making it more competitive. India and Sri Lanka have bolstered their squads with senior players, after resting them for the tour of Zimbabwe which just concluded.

South Africa a dream start to the World Cup with his goal 11 minutes from time earning Mexico a deserved 1-1 draw at Soccer City

Marquez dampens South Africa party Rafael Marquez denied hosts South Africa a dream start to the World Cup with his goal 11 minutes from time earning Mexico a deserved 1-1 draw at Soccer City.After struggling through the first half, the home side came out firing after the break and took the lead through Siphiwe Tshabalala.But after missing plenty of chances to build on their advantage, they saw their lead cancelled out by the Barcelona defender.Katlego Mphela could have snatched victory at the death, but his strike found the base of the post as both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.

10 teams who can win the World Cup 2010

Spain

Spain is the most talented team in the world. That's just the way it is. Cesc Fabregas comes off the bench, for crying out loud. There is not a single weakness in the squad. Iker Casillas in net is one of the world's three best 'keepers, maybe the best. Pique, Puyol and Sergio Ramos lead an incredibly stingy defense. Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and Busquets are dynamic in the midfield. Torres and Villa are electric playing off each other up top. If the team with the most talent wins, Spain will be hoisting its first ever World Cup trophy next month.

Australia bowed to the inevitable by pulling the plug on its bid for the 2018 World Cup

the good news is Australia remains a strong chance to host the 2022 World Cup, with many observers painting it as a two-horse race between Australia and the United States.Football Federation Australia (FFA) boss Frank Lowy made the about-face and publicly dropped the 2018 bid just a day after he had insisted the 2018 and 2022 bids were both live.This was despite a controversial statement from his Asian confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam that Asia was throwing its support behind Europe for 2018.