Barcelona wins the World Club Cup

Barcelona left it late before capping a superb year by clinching the Club World Cup here on Saturday.
The Spanish giants needed extra time to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 and secure their sixth title of 2009.
Mauro Boselli had put Estudiantes ahead after 37 minutes only for Barca striker Pedro to grab the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, with Argentina striker Lionel Messi nailing victory after 110 minutes.
The Spanish giants end the year on a high after following up last season's league, Champions League and Cup treble with their first title in this competition.
"We knew Estudiantes would put up a big fight," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
"At half-time I told my players they had to be strong, that you have to dig deep to win finals like this. They showed their determination.

"It?s been an amazing year. By winning six trophies in total we have achieved something that no-one has achieved before.
"I?m lucky that I have such quality players in my squad. The success that we?ve had has been down to them and I?d like to thank them for that."
Barca dominated early play but met with stubborn opposition from the South American champions' defense.

Xavi thought he had earned Barcelona a penalty on 35 minutes, but goalkeeper Damian Albil's challenge on him went unpunished.
And it was Estudiantes who surprisingly took the lead two minutes later when Juan Manuel Diaz crossed from the left, and Boselli got in front of Eric Abidal to fire home a header.
Barcelona reacted immediately with Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost getting a touch on a Messi free-kick after 41 minutes but Albil proved solid ensuring Alejandro Sabella's team held their lead going into half time.
After the break an Ibrahimovic effort went just wide and the Swedish forward then had another shot blocked by Leandro Desabato.
Despite the best efforts of Ibrahimovic and Messi, Barcelona failed to break down their opponents, with an effort from the Ballon d'Or winner held by Albil after 70 minutes.
But their pressing paid off after 89 minutes when Gerard Pique fed substitute Pedro, who headed into the back of the net.
Barcelona dominated extra time before Messi scored the winner after chesting home an Dani Alves cross to ensure the Catalans end the year as the kings of world football.
Earlier, South Korea's Pohang Steelers beat Mexican club Atlante 4-3 on penalties to clinch third place at the Zayed Sports City.

UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw 2009/10

UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona will take on VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round after the draw was made on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Madrid meet Lyon
Like all the group winners, Barça will be at home in the second leg of their tie as they continue their bid to become the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to lift the trophy two years running. Real Madrid CF, aiming to play in the 22 May final at their own Santiago Bernabéu home, have been drawn with Karim Benzema's former club Olympique Lyonnais.

Mourinho reunion
Arguably the highlight of the round sees José Mourinho return to Chelsea FC when his FC Internazionale Milano team take on the club now coached by former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Rossoneri also have English opposition in the shape of Manchester United FC, who they beat in the 2006/07 semi-finals on their way to winning the trophy.

Road to Madrid
For the first time this year, the fixtures in the last 16 will be held over four weeks with half the ties on 16/17 February and 9/10 March and the others on 23/24 February and 16/17 March; for a schedule click here. At 12.00CET on Friday 19 March the draw for the remaining rounds will be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with the quarter-finals on 30/31 March and 6/7 April, the semis on 20/21 and 27/28 April and the final on Saturday 22 May.

2009/10 UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw Team named first at home in first leg

FC Bayern München (GER) v ACF Fiorentina (ITA): 17 February/9 March FC Porto (POR) v Arsenal FC (ENG): 17 February/9 March AC Milan (ITA) v Manchester United FC (ENG): 16 February/10 March

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v Real Madrid CF (ESP): 16 February/10 March

Olympiacos FC (GRE) v FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA): 23 February/17 March

VfB Stuttgart (GER) v FC Barcelona (ESP): 23 February/17 March

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Chelsea FC (ENG): 24 February/16 March

PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS) v Sevilla FC (ESP): 24 February/16 March

Dynamo Kiev 1-2 FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona emerged unscathed from a difficult examination by FC Dynamo Kyiv to claim a comeback victory that took them through to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group F winners.

Messi winner
The holders were on the ropes at a chilly Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium when Artem Milevskiy headed Dynamo in front inside two minutes, but they fought back to level through Xavi Hernández just past the half-hour before Lionel Messi's imperious late winner removed all doubt. Victory confirmed top spot for Barcelona ahead of FC Internazionale Milano and denied Dynamo a place in the UEFA Europa League as they finished bottom.

Milevskiy strikes
Josep Guardiola's men had not conceded away from home in this season's UEFA Champions League, but Dynamo struck with the first attack of the match. After Gerard Piqué's foul, Andriy Shevchenko swung in a free-kick from the left and Milevskiy's glancing header at the near post caught Víctor Valdés unawares, the ball squirming from the goalkeeper's grasp and into the net. At this stage Dynamo were provisionally in second place.

Barcelona dominate
However, Olexandr Shovkovskiy was not having a much easier night in the Dynamo goal and his miscued clearance almost handed Messi a 13th-minute equaliser. The goalkeeper, though, quickly recovered and dived to push away the Argentinian's left-footed shot. Barça began to monopolise possession, and by midway through the first-half they had enjoyed 80 per cent of the ball, though they were struggling to create clear opportunities. Messi started to drop deep in an attempt to pull the strings and he had a shot deflected wide after a typically surging run.

Xavi leveller
On 33 minutes, the Blaugrana pressure finally told. Messi sent Eric Abidal away on the left and the full-back's low cross allowed Xavi to guide in from close range. Barça continued to move the ball well and on the cusp of the interval Daniel Alves tested Shovkovskiy with a cross-shot after a flowing move. Dynamo's need to set the pace in the second period meant they were vulnerable to counterattacks and Messi was denied a certain goal by Ognjen Vukojević's alert interception. The home side responded well, and Shevchenko delivered another free-kick that Leandro Almeida headed into the side-netting.

Vociferous crowd
Dynamo, encouraged by a vociferous crowd, tried manfully to shape openings, but struggled against a Barcelona rearguard back to its best after their initial uncertainty. In fact the holders looked more likely to score, with only desperate defensive blocks denying Messi, Alves and Andrés Iniesta in quick succession. Dynamo's last throw of the dice was to bring on Miloš Ninković for the more defensive Gérson Magrão in an attempt to wrest control. With just four minutes of normal time left, though, Barça confirmed their superiority, Messi stepping up to curl a magnificent free-kick past Shovkovskiy and end Dynamo's European campaign.

Internazionale 2-0 Rubin Kazan

Goals in either half by Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli fired FC Internazionale Milano into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round at the expense of FC Rubin Kazan.

Balotelli masterclass
The Nerazzurri had posed little threat before Eto'o broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, capitalising on excellent wing-play by Javier Zanetti and the awareness of Balotelli. The first goal was all-important in this must-win match for both sides and Balotelli all but ended the contest with a strike worthy of settling any game on 64 minutes, a spectacular long-range free-kick bringing San Siro to its feet and Inter into the first knockout round as Group F runners-up behind FC Barcelona.

Noboa pass
With both sides requiring victory to guarantee progress the match got off to a cautious start, although José Mourinho's decision to field three strikers spoke volumes for his intent. Balotelli's inclusion might have been rewarded on seven minutes, when the Italy Under-21 forward rolled past Aleksei Popov and César Navas only to shoot straight at Sergei Ryzhikov. The visitors soon came closer to taking the lead themselves, Christian Noboa sending Gökdeniz Karadeniz through with a brilliant pinpoint pass, but Júlio César was alive to the forward's scuffed shot.

Zanetti purpose
Inter needed inspiration; it came on the half-hour from their captain, Zanetti. The 36-year-old rolled back the years by weaving past a clutch of Rubin players on the left, and though he was eventually tackled the ball inadvertently reached Balotelli on the byline. The youngster cleverly cut it back for the unmarked Eto'o to rifle into the roof of the net.

Inter ascendant
Stung by the setback, Kurban Berdyev's men gained more urgency going forward, but that left them vulnerable to the counterattack. Zanetti again carved open the Rubin rearguard with another exciting run which was eventually halted illegally by Navas. Inter were growing with confidence, Wesley Sneijder finishing a fine team move involving Zanetti, Diego Milito and Thiago Motta with a shot that curled just over, while Maicon's effort before the break was so powerful it took two attempts from Ryzhikov to clear the danger.

Blistering strike
Rubin raised their game after the restart, Alejandro Domínguez in particular threatening from set-pieces. The Argentinian caught Mourinho's men out with a corner which Gökdeniz side-footed over, while another found Navas unmarked at the far post but it was more of the same as the defender miscued. Domínguez had an opportunity himself when he raced on to Noboa's pass but Júlio César saved. Moments earlier Balotelli should have scored when he dragged across goal when teed up by Milito's miscue, but he soon made up for it, unleashing a blistering, swerving free-kick past Ryzhikov from 34 metres.

Inter cruise
For perhaps the first time in this group stage, Inter now looked comfortable. Even when a Noboa effort fizzed wide they immediately went down the other end and flexed their attacking muscle again, Sneijder firing against the upright from long range. Nothing could spoil the Nerazzurri's night, however.

Standard Liege 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

In an extraordinary finish, goalkeeper Sinan Bolat headed an unlikely equaliser deep into added time to take R. Standard de Liège into the UEFA Europa League at the expense of AZ Alkmaar.

Dramatic ending
With the visitors leading from the 42nd minute thanks to Jeremain Lens' close-range finish, it seemed Standard – who started the match dreaming of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – would be heading out of European competition altogether. However, in what was virtually the final action of the match, Bolat joined the attack for a free-kick and duly prolonged the Belgian champions' European season in dramatic fashion, meeting Benjamin Nicaise's inswinging delivery with a powerful header to push AZ back down into fourth place.

Jovanović influence
Victory may have been imperative for both sides but it was AZ who began the brighter, moving between their hosts' lines with some success until a Nicaise free-kick shifted the point of pressure. Making his first start in the competition, the Standard midfielder forced Sergio Romero to parry low to his right from 20 metres, and after the locals responded with appreciation, it was Milan Jovanović who took over as their chief source of hope. Having had one shot deflected narrowly over, the Serbian international left two defenders in his wake as he charged through on goal only to be denied by an immaculate sliding challenge from Héctor Moreno.

Holman attempts
Jovanović then took over free-kick duties, striking the top of the crossbar close to the half-hour, before AZ midfielder Brett Holman imposed himself on proceedings with his own spell in the spotlight. He first called on Bolat to make an excellent sprawling save from distance and then rounded off a sprightly Lens break with a lobbed effort that just missed the target. It was from another pacy counterattack that the visitors went ahead too, Holman freeing Sebastien Pocognoli on the left and Lens turning in the left-back's low centre.

Goalkeeping contributions
Despite the significance of that blow, László Bölöni's charges nonetheless rallied before the interval and only the fingertips of Romero prevented Igor De Camargo levelling with an audacious overhead kick. Both goalkeepers had made telling contributions in the opening period and it was Bolat who made the first significant stop after the interval, turning over a Mounir El Hamdaoui volley as AZ threatened to double their advantage. At the other end, Romero was spared from replicating that effort as De Camargo headed off target.

Bolat intervention
Indeed, Bolat continued to be the busier of the two custodians and bizarrely saved with his face when he misjudged a long-range El Hamdaoui effort. Standard needed just one goal to ensure their season maintained more than a domestic scope, but with Romero clawing out a Wilfried Dalmat effort and the Frenchman then spooning over, their prospects were becoming increasingly bleak. Nevertheless, with time ebbing away Bolat seized upon the very last opening and, in doing so, emulated the goalscoring feat of FC Bayern München goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt 24 hours previously.

Olympiacos 1-0 Arsenal

Olympiacos FC secured their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after claiming a narrow victory against a youthful Arsenal FC side.

Leonardo strikes
Leonardo struck the only goal of the game two minutes after half-time as the Greek champions ensured a first knockout round place as Group H runners-up behind Arsène Wenger's side. Having already clinched top spot, the Arsenal manager fielded a starting lineup with an average age of just 21, but they were unlucky not to snatch at least a draw with Carlos Vela coming close twice.

Early chances
Zico had stressed in advance the need for Olympiacos not to simply look for the draw they required, but it was the visitors, with Theo Walcott full of running, who controlled much of the early possession as the home team made a nervous start. Moving the ball around confidently, it took Arsenal just ten minutes to register the first effort on goal, Walcott stinging the palms of Antonis Nikopolidis with a sharp shot from inside the penalty area. Kostas Mitroglou responded three minutes later, slicing an effort over the crossbar.

Galletti miss
Arsenal were then presented with a chance to take the lead when Olof Mellberg felled Vela just outside the box, but Walcott smashed his free-kick straight into the defensive wall. The Greek champions then broke and Luciano Galletti volleyed Leonardo's cross into the side-netting. Arsenal continued to control the midfield, however, and Walcott, back in the team after a hamstring injury, was proving a constant threat in and around the penalty area with his quick feet and darting runs.

Olympiacos press
Galletti was Olympiacos's main outlet down the right and the Argentinian gave left-back Thomas Cruise a difficult Arsenal debut. The visitors kept their hosts at arm's length, though, and it took Mitroglou 43 minutes to register Olympiacos's first shot on target with a speculative effort which Łukasz Fabiański gathered comfortably. Shots followed from both Dudu and Raúl Bravo as Olympiacos pressed forward, both sailing over the crossbar.

Decisive moment
The second half began with a flourish when Olympiacos took the lead two minutes in. Arsenal were caught cold when the ball broke kindly for Leonardo in midfield and the Brazilian winger surged into the penalty area before slotting through the legs of Fabiański. Frenzied celebrations ensued as the home fans sensed the first knockout round was near, although they had cause to be thankful just four minutes later when Vela burst through and only a brilliant Nikopolidis save kept his team ahead.

Keepers busy
Walcott curled a free-kick just round the right post as the Gunners stepped up the pressure and Vela prodded over with only Nikopolidis to beat in the 70th minute. At the other end, Leonardo was denied by Fabiański's sprawling save after being played in by Dudu and the visiting goalkeeper then got the faintest of touches to direct a Mitroglou effort wide. Arsenal pressed forward in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser but Nikopolidis put in several good blocks to secure a third home win in the group and with it a place in the last 16.

Sevilla 1-0 Rangers

Sevilla FC eased their way to victory and completed a miserable UEFA Champions League campaign for Rangers FC thanks to a first-half Frédéric Kanouté penalty which sealed the Spanish side's place in the first knockout round as Group G winners.

Passionate fans
Kanouté coolly slotted in after just eight minutes, and the hosts were largely on top for the full 90 in a match played before passionate home fans and loyal travelling support. In fact, had it not been for a marvellous finger-tip save by Allan McGregor from Didier Zokora with ten minutes remaining, the margin would deservedly have been greater still.

Early impact
Although the Scottish titleholders started with gusto the group leaders quickly established the status quo. On his comeback from an elbow injury, Kanouté was soon hinting that the club's top scorer Luis Fabiano would not be missed, wreaking havoc in the opening stages. First he collected a long ball, controlling with admirable ease under pressure, and stuck out one of his long legs to clip the ball past McGregor only for Saša Papac hook clear on the goalline.

Intentions clear
It was an immediate statement of intent from the 32-year-old striker who has such an impact on Manuel Jiménez's side's creative play. Once Kanouté had softened up the visitors he went for football's version of the knockout blow. What began as a clever break by Fernando Navarro ended with a spot-kick when the left-back's marauding run ended with a foul by Rangers counterpart Steven Whittaker after the Rangers defender had briefly won possession.

Kanouté cool
Kanouté strolled up and mischievously sent McGregor the wrong way at walking pace. Despite the enormous backing of their 2,500 travelling fans and an enthusiastic display of running and pressing from Walter Smith's men, the home side dominated possession without finding a second goal before the break. The closest they came was on 17 minutes, when Renato shot and McGregor fumbled wide.

Sorry record
Though Rangers came into the match unbeaten on their travels in the UEFA Champions League this season it is a more indicative statistic that they have not won outside Scotland since a 3-0 group-stage triumph at Olympique Lyonnais in 2007/08. In nine matches away to Spanish teams they had collected two draws and seven defeats.

Sevilla strength
Not surprisingly, perhaps, Sevilla remained firmly in control, but had only rare efforts by second-half substitutes Aldo Duscher and Álvaro Negredo to show for it. With time running out on their European season, Rangers finally threw all their resources forward and Nacho Novo, whose father played for Sevilla's local rivals Real Betis Balompié, had the best chance for the visitors. The substitute skewed his shot into the sidenetting, however, as Rangers' Group G campaign ended in the disappointment of a fourth defeat.

VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Unirea Urziceni

VfB Stuttgart reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round for the first time in five years, overwhelming FC Unirea Urziceni with three goals in the first eleven minutes to claim second place in Group G at their opponents' expense.

Advantage overturned
The Romanian titleholders travelled to Germany holding a two-point lead over Stuttgart yet were powerless to deny Christian Gross a dream start to his new job. The 55-year-old replaced Markus Babbel on Sunday and watched in jubilation as his new charges began at breathtaking speed, goals from Ciprian Marica, Christian Träsch and Pavel Pogrebnyak effectively wrapping up a last-16 place despite António Semedo's reply early in the second period.

Khedira the key
The hosts could scarcely have imagined a better start, taking a three-goal lead before Unirea could draw breath. Sami Khedira, a surprise inclusion following a foot injury, swiftly proved worthy of Gross's gamble, delivering a perfect cross for Marica to nod past the stranded Giedrius Arlauskis with five minutes gone. Although Jens Lehmann was forced into a superb save from his own defender as Stefano Celozzi made a last-ditch challenge on Marius Ioan Bilasco, the early momentum was with Stuttgart, who doubled their advantage from the resulting corner.

Composed finishes
Breaking swiftly, Timo Gebhart's long pass allowed Träsch to outstrip the Unirea defence and shoot low across Arlauskis and into the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later the Stuttgart supporters were rubbing their eyes in disbelief as Khedira laid on his second of the night and the home team's third, Pogrebnyak picking up his ball in from the right and jinking past two defenders before finishing coolly through the goalkeeper's legs.

Semedo consolation
With the match all but decided already, the Bundesliga strugglers relaxed and continued to dictate proceedings without adding to their lead before the interval. Their composure suffered a jolt five minutes into the second period when Semedo made the most of Artur Boka's mistake to reduce the visitors' deficit, though Stuttgart quickly regained the initiative by creating a plethora of chances.

Gebhardt goes close
Substitute Sebastian Rudy was the first to threaten, linking up superbly with Marica only to drive straight at Arslauskis, before Marica himself was unfortunate not to find a team-mate after breaking down the left. With Unirea attempting to hurt their hosts on the counterattack, Stuttgart accepted the invitation to pour forward and came close to restoring their three-goal lead when Gebhart curled a delightful shot beyond Arlauskis, only to watch his effort clip the outside of the post.

Qualification assured
The German side continued to look the more likely scorers as the match entered its final stages, with Unirea never seriously threatening to mount the remarkable fightback required after that sensational Stuttgart start. Dan Petrescu's side therefore go into the draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 32 on 18 December; Gross, meanwhile, will be hoping a second successive UEFA Champions League win can provide the impetus to revive Stuttgart's stuttering domestic fortunes.

Lyon 4-0 Debreceni

Olympique Lyonnais went into the UEFA Champions League knockout stages on the back of an emphatic victory against Group E's bottom team Debreceni VSC, whose debut campaign ended without a point, yet Claude Puel's side still missed out on top spot.

Fiorentina frustration
From the moment Bafétimbi Gomis opened the scoring in the 25th minute, there only looked like being one winner. Michel Bastos added a second before the break as Lyon seized total control, with further strikes in the second period through the excellent Miralem Pjanić and left-back Aly Cissokho. The margin of victory meant Lyon looked set to overtake ACF Fiorentina courtesy of a superior goal difference with the Italian side drawing at Liverpool FC, only for Alberto Gilardino to strike in added time at Anfield.

Clear objectives
Already through for a seventh consecutive season, Lyon began with two clear objectives: improve a recent run in which they have failed to win in six Ligue 1 matches and clinch the victory they needed to keep alive their hopes of topping the section. Yet with top scorer Lisandro rested, Les Gones struggled to find fluency early on. Aside from Anthony Réveillère's wayward cross-shot, the home side did not threaten during a low-key opening in which András Herczeg's charges slowly grew in confidence.

Gomis breakthrough
Zsolt Laczkó had already sent a long shot dipping too high when Péter Czvitkovics forced Hugo Lloris to push his low free-kick round the post on 15 minutes. OL reacted with a set-piece of their own, Bastos's fizzing strike drawing a parry from Djordje Pantić, who was relieved to see the flag raised as Jean II Makoun slotted in the rebound. Nevertheless, the visitors had looked comfortable until József Varga's misplaced pass presented possession to Sidney Govou. The French international advanced purposefully before shooting low, and when Pantić spilled again, Gomis made no mistake.

Sharp reaction
Govou's night would be cut short by injury, the winger replaced by Pjanić before the half-hour, yet OL were cruising after Bastos added a second. There was a degree of fortune to the goal, Pjanić miscuing his free-kick strike into the path of the Brazilian, who turned sharply and rifled an accurate shot inside the far post. The Hungarian champions were beaten 5-1 by FC Girondins de Bordeaux on their last trip to France eight years ago, and must have feared a repeat as Lyon came out firing in the second half.

Pjanić reward
Gomis latched on to Pjanić's clever pass and drew a fine fingertip save from Pantić before volleying a more awkward chance over moments later. Pjanić was pulling the strings for Puel's men, and deservedly got on the scoresheet just before the hour, deflecting Bastos's inviting cross from the right beyond the exposed Pantić for his third goal of the campaign.

Powerful fourth
With Debrecen happy to limit the damage, the game's closing quarter was eventful only for Lyon's fourth goal, a powerful strike from Cissokho that beat Pantić at his near post. It was the 19th goal the debutants had conceded in their six matches, meaning they equal the record held by FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvárosi TC for the competition's most porous defence.

Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina

Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to ensure ACF Fiorentina advanced to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group E winners with a 2-1 comeback victory at eliminated Liverpool FC.

Unwanted record
Trailing to Yossi Benayoun's first-half header, the Viola drew level through Martin Jørgensen before Gilardino snatched victory in dramatic fashion when he turned in Juan Vargas's low cross in the final seconds at a rain-sodden Anfield. If a second successive home defeat – an unwanted first in Europe for Liverpool – marked a sorry end to the hosts' UEFA Champions League campaign, for Fiorentina the fairy tale goes on, this fifth consecutive victory ensuring they will fear nobody in the last 16.

Viola threat
Fiorentina entered the contest looking to make sure of top spot in the group and they were almost presented with an early goal by Daniel Agger's under-hit back pass. Mario Santana reacted sharply but Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri – making his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season in place of Pepe Reina – got there first. After Jørgensen had blazed wildly over from the edge of the box, the Viola twice came close to a breakthrough. Lorenzo De Silvestri, one of several fringe players featuring for the injury-hit visitors, powered in a header from a Jørgensen corner that Cavalieri tipped over, the Brazilian then getting down low to turn away Riccardo Montolivo's volley from Jørgensen's next delivery.

Aquilani start
In truth with Liverpool's fate – their first group-stage elimination under Rafael Benítez – already sealed, the match unfolded at a slow tempo. Anfield got its first sight of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani starting in Liverpool red, four months after his arrival from AS Roma, yet it was their usual inspiration, Steven Gerrard, who set up Benayoun's opening goal two minutes before the break. Gerrard, presented before kick-off with a memento of his recent 500th appearance, swung in a free-kick from the right which Benayoun met at the near post with a glancing header that Sébastien Frey got a hand to but could not stop going in off the far upright.

Inspirational leaders
Scenting a morale-boosting victory, Liverpool found another gear in the second half and Gerrard almost teed up a second with another wickedly delivered free-kick only for Agger to mistime his attempted diving header. Instead, Fiorentina drew level in the 63rd minute through Jørgensen. Gianluca Comotto slipped the ball forward to Gilardino on the edge of Liverpool's area and the striker laid it off to the left where the Viola skipper let fly with a first-time effort. Liverpool sought a response and after Gerrard had shot into the side-netting, 18-year-old debutant Jaime Pacheco – replacing Aquilani – drew a low save from Frey from the edge of the box.

Late winner
Instead, with the rain pouring down, the Viola grabbed victory as Gilardino buried the ball past Cavalieri to send the visiting supporters into raptures. For Liverpool it was a case of what might have been. If games lasted 89 minutes they would be through – yet the UEFA Europa League now awaits a team already stung twice previously in added time by Olympique Lyonnais.

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel FC

APOEL FC ended Chelsea FC's run of ten matches without conceding at Stamford Bridge and then repeated the trick with three minutes remaining to earn a surprise draw.

Mirosavljević equaliser
It was not enough to propel the Cypriot side into the UEFA Europa League but the memory of how they stood up to one of the continent's dominant forces – albeit a side missing several first-choice players – will live with them for a long time. Marcin Żewłakow's early strike was overturned before half-time as Michael Essien and Didier Drogba got on the scoresheet. Chelsea continued to dominate and always looked the likely winners but they were rocked when, three minutes from time, substitute Nenad Mirosavljević stole in for the equaliser.

Rare breach
Carlo Ancelotti gave UEFA Champions League debuts to goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and Gaël Kakuta and the former was quickly called into action, plunging to his right to beat away Joost Broerse's shot on the turn after a cleverly-worked free-kick. It was a stark warning to Chelsea's rearguard, but not heeded as Żewłakow became the first player to breach them at home in eleven matches. Konstantinos Charalambides found enough time and space to engineer a sweet pass for the Polish striker to stride on to and easily beat the onrushing Turnbull.

Fulsome riposte
It silenced much of Stamford Bridge while the 5,000-strong APOEL supporters let their surprise and delight be heard. The home fans were soon rising to cheer a Joe Cole header which flashed into the net following Florent Malouda's precise cross only for the offside flag to rule it out. Nevertheless, the shock of falling behind served to concentrate Chelsea minds and they were pouring forward in droves. The equaliser followed another well-constructed incursion into the heart of the visitors' defence with Essien taking possession before side-stepping his man and unleashing a firm drive which Dionisios Chiotis could not keep out.

Essien injury
Essien limped off shortly after but with Frank Lampard taking over there was unlikely to be any interruption to Chelsea's supremacy. Almost immediately Yuri Zhirkov advanced to find a crossing position down the left. Drogba pulled away from his markers and there was room aplenty to drive in the second. There was nothing at the start of the second half to suggest the balance of play was about to witness a significant change. Cole came close to Kakuta's low delivery while from a promising position Drogba sensed an opportunity to add to his recent tally of free-kick goals but aimed narrowly wide.

Chances rain
As the rain continued to pour down and Chelsea remained camped in the APOEL half, it seemed the only relevant issue was how many goals the home side would be satisfied with. Cole bounced a long cross off the crossbar but the look on his face was a giveaway that his intention had been to find a team-mate rather than go for goal. Terry had a goal ruled out and was then found wanting at the other end as Chelsea gave the ball away and Mirosavljević pounced to deliver the visitors a point.

Atlético de Madrid 0-3 FC Porto

FC Porto rounded off their Group D campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory at Club Atlético de Madrid, even the prospect of a UEFA Europa League place failing to rouse the disappointing hosts.

Overwhelmed
With APOEL FC only managing a 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC the Spanish side were handed a European reprieve as they finished third by virtue of an away goal in their head-to-head record against the Cypriot side. Yet on this evidence Quique Sánchez Flores plenty of work to do as already-qualified Porto put them to the sword at the Vicente Calderón. Early goals from Bruno Alves and Falcao set them on their way, Hulk sealing a handsome triumph 14 minutes from time to ensure Porto go into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw on 18 December fearing no one.

Early setback
Quique Flores said before the game he wanted his side to focus on beating Porto but his words fell on deaf ears – within two minutes a static back line allowed Alves to climb unchallenged for a corner and direct a looping header over Sergio Asenjo. It was only the defender's second UEFA Champions League goal in 35 appearances. The visitors – already assured a place in the tournament's first knockout round – revelled in the pressure-free environment and almost went 2-0 up when Diego Valeri outsmarted Juanito before seeing his close-range shot parried by Asenjo.

Porto power
The goalkeeper was less impressive on 14 minutes as Jesualdo Ferreira's side doubled their advantage, Asenjo parrying Fucile's speculative effort from distance straight into the path of Falcao, who steered in his third goal of the group stage. With news filtering through that APOEL had taken the lead at Chelsea, the home supporters at the Vicente Calderón demanded more urgency. Their side responded as Sergio Agüero hit the side-netting, Simão also threatening and as the game opened up Falcao spurned a glorious chance to make it 3-0 when he headed wide from five metres.

Forlán off-colour
It was a rare fillip for an Atlético side down on their luck. Yet though Diego Forlán peppered the fans behind Porto's goal with three wild shorts from distance, a quick glance at the scoreboard at half-time slightly assuaged the Atlético faithful with Chelsea 2-1 up against APOEL. Things soured again after the break as Sergio Agüero limped off almost immediately and despite the best efforts of Simão and Juanito, usually working in tandem, the home side's night never improved.

One-way traffic
The sight of Maicon limping off injured aside, Porto were never troubled and it took a great block from Asenjo to deny Valeri after Hulk's through-ball. That may have convinced the Brazilian forward to go it alone the next time the Atlético back line opened up before him and he did not disappoint. Running on to a pass from substitute Fredy Guarín, Hulk beat defender Álvaro Domínguez before thumping a left-footed drive in off the underside of the crossbar to send the visiting supporters into ecstasy.

Beşiktaş 1-2 CSKA

PFC CSKA Moskva progressed from the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their fifth attempt after a dramatic victory at Beşiktaş JK took them into the first knockout round at VfL Wolfsburg's expense.

Wolfsburg pipped
The Miloš Krasić-inspired 2-1 win against Wolfsburg a fortnight ago had meant that CSKA knew they would be through if they picked up more points here than the German side did at home to Manchester United FC. Krasić's strike late in the first half edged the visitors ahead and although Bobô levelled with four minutes left, Evgeni Aldonin won the game deep in added time; as it turned out even a point would have been enough for CSKA thanks to Wolfsburg's 3-1 loss to United. At kick-off Beşiktaş could have taken a UEFA Europa League berth with victory but three home defeats in the group proved their undoing.

Home side threaten
Beşiktaş came close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes in when captain İbrahim Üzülmez tested Igor Akinfeev, and not long afterwards Rodrigo Tello received a perfect pass from Ekrem Dağ and beat CSKA's offside trap but his chipped shot skimmed the bar. Krasić was a constant threat down the right though at this stage chances were few for youngsters Tomáš Necid and Alan Dzagoev in attack.

Krasić strikes
Necid, scorer of CSKA's equaliser against Wolfsburg, was denied by the alert İbrahim Toraman on the half-hour but it was still out of the blue when some Krasić brilliance broke the deadlock four minutes before the break. Deividas Šemberas played in the winger with an incisive ball to the left of the box and Krasić's superb angled shot beat Rüştü Reçber at his far post.

Beşiktaş response
Rüştü, himself a star on Matchday 5 in the 1-0 win at Manchester United FC that ensured Beşiktaş would have something to play for tonight, had to receive treatment – and a new shirt – after a brave dive early in the second half left blood gushing from his nose. But the home side were full of vigour and İbrahim Toraman headed just over as Wolfsburg's equaliser against United left CSKA desperate to hang on to their lead, though the English side soon restored their own advantage.

Late goals
Home coach Mustafa Denizli sent Nihat Kahveci on in attack midway through the second half and five minutes later they went close again, Matteo Ferrari this time sending a header just over the bar. Nihat forced Akinfeev to save in the 83rd minute but Beşiktaş secured their equaliser when İbrahim Üzülmez sent a low ball into the box and Bobô slid in to score. As more than five minutes of additional time began, the final whistle in Wolfsburg ensured that CSKA only needed to hold on for a draw, but with almost the final kick Aldonin burst into the box and his strong finish sparked a celebration for which his club have been waiting a long time.

FC Zürich 1-1 AC Milan

A fright night for AC Milan ended with a 1-1 draw and a place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after FC Zürich paid a high price for a single unfortunate challenge.

Ronaldinho penalty
Milan Gajić's superb 29th-minute free-kick for Zürich, who earned a shock 1-0 victory in Milan on Matchday 2, looked set to steer the eliminated Swiss champions to a repeat success. But on 63 minutes Alain Rochat felled Marco Borriello, meaning a red card and a penalty which Ronaldinho gratefully converted to settle nerves. Milan advance as Group C runners-up behind Real Madrid CF thanks to their 3-1 win at Olympique de Marseille.

Early chance
Milan made a bright start and needed only seven minutes to create their first chance, with left-back Luca Antonini breaking down the flank to cross, Marco Borriello nodding on and Pato meeting it with a volley which Johnny Leoni did well to smother. It was not a sign of things to come. Zürich's Adrian Nikci swung a left-footed shot just wide by way of reply and although his side needed longer to settle than the seven-time European champions, they were impressive when they did.

Gajić strikes
The hosts could easily have forged ahead in the 26th minute when Gajić threaded the ball past Milan's defence. Alexandre Alphonse sprinted clean through but contrived to balloon his shot over. Gajić made no such mistake three minutes later from over 25 metres, bending his free-kick around the Milan wall and just inside the left-hand post with Dida beaten at full stretch. It was a fair reward for Zürich's efforts and despite Borriello hooking a half-chance over shortly afterwards, they were looking good for their lead. They might even have had a second shortly before the break when Onyekachi Okonkwo sent in a rising shot from the edge of the area, forcing a sharp save from Dida.

Milan switch
Milan, which had struggled in the final third throughout the opening 45 minutes, showed a little more bite after the restart. Fed by Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho drilled in a low angled shot from inside the area which Leoni kept out with a one-handed save. It was not enough for Milan coach Leonardo, who sent on Mathieu Flamini for Massimo Ambrosini to try and stir things up.

Ronaldinho levels
It certainly livened up just after the hour when Seedorf slipped a killer pass through to Borriello in the Zürich area and the forward was sent tumbling. Ronaldinho gave Leoni no chance with the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly, with the home side down to ten men, it was a different contest and Milan substitute Kakha Kaladze came agonisingly close to putting the visitors in front with a header from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. To their credit, Zürich were determined to exit the competition heads high and they limited Leonardo's men to only half chances late on, but Milan had done enough.

Maccabi Haifa 0-1 Bordeaux

FC Girondins de Bordeaux claimed a fifth successive UEFA Champions League victory thanks to Jussiê's early strike at Maccabi Haifa FC, who finished bottom of Group A without a point or a goal to their name.

Worthy winner
The French titleholders had already secured first in the section with their Matchday 5 defeat of Juventus and were in control from the outset at the Ramat Gan Stadium, although a composed 13th-minute finish from Jussiê – the striker's first goal in the competition – was their only reward. A young Haifa side strove to find a way back into the game, yet their failure to do so means they become only the second team in UEFA Champions League history, after RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2004/05, to finish the group stage without a goal and only the ninth to end point-less.

Jussiê goal
With Haifa captain Yaniv Katan and Gustavo Boccoli both out injured, Elisha Levy welcomed back Eyal Golasa and Lior Refaelov. The Greens began brightly, pressing their opponents from the outset, yet were unable to turn early superiority into goals and soon paid the penalty. Tsepo Masilela missed his kick as he attempted a clearance and Abdou Traoré took full advantage, chipping delightfully to the far post where the advancing Jussiê thumped into the roof of the net. Haifa promptly escaped falling two goals behind as they were caught on the counterattack following a corner, but while Nir Davidovitch was beaten by Jussiê's fierce drive, Dekel Keinan acrobatically blocked on the line.

Haifa revival
The hosts took time to regroup but then came close twice in a minute, Mohamad Ghadir directing a volley straight at Ulrich Ramé and Vladimer Dvalishvili shooting into the side-netting. Yet it was not until just before half-time that the Bordeaux goalkeeper was called into serious action for the first time, diving to his right to keep out Refaelov's fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Arbeitman on
Refaelov continued in similar vein as the second half got under way, threatening with a right-foot shot that flew just wide. Seeking to press home the advantage, Levy introduced Shlomi Arbeitman hoping Haifa's top scorer could finally break the Israeli champions' duck in this season's competition, but instead it took a perfectly-timed tackle from Jorge Teixeira to prevent Jussiê doubling their deficit.

Harazi farewell
Another replacement, Talb Tawatha, nearly made more of an impact as his ball from the left was parried by Ramé into the path of Refaelov; the midfielder volleyed over. David Bellion did likewise at the opposite end with an acrobatic effort. In the 70th minute, Alon Harazi came on to a standing ovation. The 38-year-old defender, who was handed a framed shirt prior to kick-off, was making his 720th and final Haifa appearance. That, however, proved the home crowd's biggest cheer of the night, while Laurent Blanc's pre-match prediction that an unfamiliar Bordeaux side would still impress was fully justified.

OM 1-3 Real Madrid

Olympique de Marseille spurned a major helping hand from FC Zürich as their UEFA Champions League adventure ended with a swift return to earth, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice as Group C winners Real Madrid CF left the Stade Vélodrome with a 3-1 victory.

Daunting task
Beating the nine-time winners is a daunting task at the best of times, but OM faced the prospect of needing to prevail 3-0 or by four clear goals if AC Milan took maximum plunder in Switzerland. As it happened, the Rossoneri could only draw 1-1, but that result was rendered meaningless by a pair of Ronaldo goals either side of Raúl Albiol's effort, with Lucho having earlier equalised before missing a penalty for the side now intent on UEFA Europa League success.

Free-kick tradition
Madrid's last visit here had opened with a free-kick goal from David Beckham back in November 2003, and no sooner had the locals voiced their optimism than they were silenced by another former Red Devil, Ronaldo continuing the tradition of set-piece strikes from former Manchester United FC players with just five minutes gone. OM's feisty start to proceedings had been admirable, but it led to a foul 30 metres from goal and Ronaldo spun a delicious effort into the top corner via the glove of Steve Mandanda.

Swift leveller
The stadium was soon humming again, though, as Didier Deschamps' men willed themselves level, Lucho lashing beyond Iker Casillas after Albiol had blocked Brandão's point-blank header from a Taye Taiwo cross. Brandão had by then collected a yellow card and a suspension, but the Brazilian striker's focus did not sway and he temporarily roused passions with an effort ruled out for offside as Marseille looked to pounce on some brief glimpses of disarray.

Corner chances
Not that all was serene at the other end – far from it, in fact, and four different players threatened to register in quick succession as a Rafael van der Vaart corner spread panic in the OM area. Ronaldo nodded against a post, Mandanda kept out Gonzalo Higuaín and finally both Pepe and Sergio Ramos had goalbound attempts blocked in extremis.

Penalty miss
With Milan trailing at the interval, Marseille came out for the resumption in animated mood, only for their early fervour to be crushed once again. Mandanda had done well to deny both Van der Vaart and Marcelo, yet he was helpless to prevent Albiol firing low into the net after Gabriel Heinze had attempted to clear a corner – and this time there was to be no rapid equaliser.

Ronaldo double
A penalty for Lucho looked to be the perfect chance to restore parity following Casillas's foul on the onrushing Mamadou Niang, but the Argentinian international blasted against the crossbar. He was soon left ruing that miss all the more acutely as Ronaldo latched on to a Lassana Diarra pass, picked himself up from Mandanda's challenge on the edge of the area and turned the ball into an empty net to take his tally in this year's competition to six.

Juventus 1-4 Bayern Münich

FC Bayern Münich reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in scintillating style after coming from behind to complete a memorable victory at Juventus thanks to strikes by goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt, Ivica Olić, Mario Gómez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

Blistering fightback
Though David Trezeguet had given La Vecchia Signora the lead with a wonderful strike on 19 minutes Bayern, who required victory to reach the knockout stages, had dominated early on. The character of the German side withstood the setback, however, and Butt equalised from the penalty spot after Olić had been brought down. Early in the second half, despite the sustained resistance of Gianluigi Buffon, the lively Croatia striker pounced to turn the match on its head, Gómez and substitute Tymoshchuk adding goals in the final seven minutes to consign Juve, for whom this equalled their record home defeat in UEFA competition, to the UEFA Europa League.

Olić chance
The Bundesliga outfit began strongly, Bastian Schweinsteiger standing out with his powerful running from deep. The Germany international began and ended a promising move in the fifth minute, carrying the ball 20 metres, finding Thomas Müller on the right, and meeting his cut-back with a shot that sailed over. The visitors came even closer minutes later when Olić rose to head Mark van Bommel's cross against the far post.

Trezeguet strike
Juventus, without the injured Giorgio Chiellini, appeared to be creaking but suddenly scored. Martín Demichelis brought the ball out of defence but failed to spot Diego, who dispossessed him, found Claudio Marchisio, and the midfielder's searching pass was met with a sublime first-time Trezeguet volley. The Stadio Olimpico burst into life, but fell silent within seconds as Buffon tipped over Schweinsteiger's effort and then kept out an Olić header.

Butt equaliser
Bayern were refusing to lie down and drew level after the livewire Olić was felled by Martín Cáceres and Butt kept his nerve to beat Buffon from the spot for his third career goal against Juventus. Louis van Gaal's men were rampant, and should have been ahead two minutes later when Gómez headed over from three metres, Buffon again saving well from Schweinsteiger before half-time.

Olić goal
The Bundesliga outfit maintained their momentum after the break and on 52 minutes Olić scored the goal he so richly deserved. Danijel Pranjić had already brought another save from Buffon and when the exposed Juve goalkeeper was again required to parry Daniel Van Buyten's downward header from another Van Bommel cross, the Croatia striker tucked the rebound into the unguarded net. Now it was the hosts who were going out and Ciro Ferrara's men attempted the fightback, Christian Poulsen and Trezeguet going close.

Clinching goals
Juventus, though, never really looked like finding the elusive equaliser despite the introduction of Sebastian Giovinco and Amauri. Indeed, it was the visitors who grew stronger and they scored a third seven minutes from time from a Schweinsteiger corner. Van Buyten's header was kept out by Buffon but again the goalkeeper was unlucky with the rebound, Gómez finishing from less than a metre. The final flourish was applied by Tymoshchuk from the edge of the area in added time, completing a memorable night for Bayern and a miserable one for their hosts.

Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

A superb Michael Owen hat-trick helped Manchester United FC clinch top spot in Group B with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg which denied the hosts a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

Owen double
The German champions knew they had to at least match PFC CSKA Moskva's result against Beşiktaş JK to join United in the first knockout round. However, despite Edin Džeko's 56th-minute header cancelling out Owen's first-half opener, the English international struck twice in the closing stages to extend United's remarkable unbeaten run to 15 away games in the UEFA Champions League and leave Wolfsburg contemplating a place in the UEFA Europa League.

High tempo
The initial enthusiasm of the home fans was matched by their team as Wolfsburg made a high-tempo start. Back after a two-match suspension, Grafite brought an early save from Tomasz Kuszczak before Michael Carrick, one of three midfielders in the United defence, stepped across smartly to halt a penetrating Makoto Hasebe run.

Opportunities
Given the makeshift nature of the visitors' defence it was no surprise that gaps appeared. Andrea Barzagli was left unmarked at a corner, but the Italian defender could not keep his header down, and there was an identical outcome when Sascha Riether's deep cross found Zvjezdan Misimović similarly unattended in the box. The groans of disappointment that accompanied the ball as it sailed over the bar were adequate testament to a second gilt-edged opportunity that had gone begging.

Promising surge
United's response was piecemeal. Darron Gibson flashed a well-struck shot wide, and when Daniel Welbeck stroked the ball into the net after Anderson had threaded through a delightful pass, the offside flag meant parity was preserved. An acrobatic Kuszczak tip-over from Hasebe's drive kept United's goal intact before opportunism of the highest order gave the visitors the lead just before the break. Nani cut inside to deliver an inswinging cross from the left, and Owen's anticipation did the rest, the England striker getting in front of Marcel Schäfer to head past Diego Benaglio for his second goal in this season's competition.

Swift response
With CSKA leading at half-time in Istanbul, Wolfsburg knew greater efforts were required, and coach Armin Veh was provided with the response he had no doubt asked for during the interval. A sharp one-two with Christian Gentner gave Schäfer room to cross, and the full-back's pinpoint centre was met by Džeko, whose powerful header left Kuszczak helpless. The goal buoyed the crowd and the home side as they were both infused with renewed hope, which another fine save from the goalkeeper, turning aside Grafite's well-hit shot, failed to diminish.

Cool chip
Ricardo Costa then headed over before Carrick's last-ditch lunge denied substitute Ashkan Dejagah a clean strike on goal. It was United, though, who would find the net again to end the contest and Wolfsburg's ambitions. Owen first slotted in from close range after excellent work by Gabriel Obertan and – just seconds after Riether had narrowly failed to connect with a cross – Owen then capped a lightning counterattack with a cool chip over Benaglio to complete his hat-trick.

The Final Draw for South Africa 2010

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D lineup which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Although the dates and locations of each of the 48 group-stage games are known, the kick-off times will be announced shortly, upon conclusion of a meeting between FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and broadcasters.

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.