Abkhazia Institute for Social and Economic Research

The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa ™ has got off to a successful start. Tahiti's Axel Williams was the player who kicked off the opening match in the first series of qualifiers to determine which 31 countries will eventually take their place alongside the host nation in 2010. Tahiti were playing New Caledonia in Apia, Samoa, on 25 August 2007 in the opening South Pacific match in the Oceania pre-qualifying round, where all teams in the Oceania Zone with the exception of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand will meet each other.

Coach Steve McClaren has handed surprise call-ups to uncapped duo David Bentley and Ashley Young for England's crucial UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

England versus Germany. No matter at what level or in what sporting discipline these two countries meet, it is always a keenly and closely contested occasion. On Sunday evening in Goyang City, the Three Lions, the European Zone runners-up, return to the scene of their 2-1 triumph over Brazil, while Germany, the fifth place finishers at the UEFA U-17 Championship will hope that the good form that they have displayed in their last match against the USA can continue.