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(CNN) -- Ghana captain Michael Essien has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury, dealing a major blow to the Black Stars' hopes of success in the first tournament to be held in Africa.

The midfielder has not played for his English club Chelsea since December, but Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac picked the 27-year-old in his preliminary 29-man squad in the hope that he would be fit to play in the tournament.

But the Ghana Football Association announced on Thursday that Essien, who has won more than 50 caps and is known affectionately by fans as "The Bison," will not be ready before the month-long tournament finishes in mid-July.

"An evaluation by a combined team of medical experts from the Ghana Football Association and Chelsea Football Club revealed that Essien will not make full recovery until the end of July," it said in a statement on its Web site.

"The Ghana Football Association wishes him full recovery and a quick return to football action."

Essien's latest problems began six months ago when he suffered a hamstring injury in a European Champions League match, but he returned to fitness in time for Ghana's second match at the African Nations Cup in January.

But he then injured his knee in training, partially tearing medial ligament, and he needed to have several operations to repair the damage.

The former Lyon player also suffered a serious knee injury in 2008 which sidelined him for six months.

Earlier this month, Rajevac also named John Mensah in his preliminary squad despite the defender's injury problems.

Mensah, who also plays in England on loan with Sunderland, has been sidelined with a calf injury arising from a physical complication which has plagued him in recent years.

Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who also plays in England, was named by the Serbian coach after deciding to switch nationality.

The Portsmouth player was born in Germany, who he has represented at under-21 level, but has a Ghanaian father and his uncle has played for the Black Stars.

Rajevac also recalled Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari, who was dropped for the Africa Cup of Nations in January after deciding not to play in a friendly against Angola.

New Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson named a predictably talent-laden 30-man squad, with his side favored to be the continent's best prospect in South Africa.

The Elephants, who face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in Group G, can call upon the English Premier League's top scorer Didier Drogba and his teammate at champions Chelsea, Salomon Kalou.

The midfield ranks include Barcelona's Champions League winner Yaya Toure, Hamburg's Guy Demel and Cheick Tiote of Dutch champions FC Twente.

Former England and Mexico coach Eriksson, who took over from Vahid Halilhodzic after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign, also has England-based defenders Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure, Abdoulaye Meite and Steve Gohouri.

Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen gave Rigobert Song the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup after naming the 33-year-old defender in his 30-man squad.

Veteran midfielder Geremi, who also plays in Turkey, may play at his second tournament while Benoit Assou-Akotto is recalled after missing the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and his fellow Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong is included too after being omitted for the Angola event by the Frenchman.

Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o will continue as captain, having replaced Song when Le Guen took charge last year.

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira named Benni McCarthy in his 29-man squad after the striker was dropped by predecessor Joel Santana and has struggled with injury since moving to English club West Ham in January.

The Brazilian picked 10 Europe-based players, including captain Aaron Mokoena and midfielders Kagisho Dikgacoi and Steven Pienaar, but Nasief Morris of Spanish club Racing Santander missed out.

Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback gave Nwankwo Kanu the chance to earn his third World Cup appearance despite the 33-year-old striker's limited opportunities with English club Portsmouth this season.

Kanu's clubmate John Utaka has been recalled in the 30-man squad after being dropped by the Swede's sacked predecessor Amodu Shaibu, while midfielder Jon Obi Mikel is included despite missing the end of Chelsea's season due to minor knee surgery.

Goalkeeper Bassey Akpan and Peter Suswan were the only Nigeria-based players selected.

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane added five players to his initial 25-man squad to cover for injuries.

Lazhar Hadj Aissa, Hocine Metref and Khaled Lemmouchia of Algerian club ES Setif have joined the Desert Foxes' Swiss training camp along with Mohamed Meftah of JS Kabylie and Germany-based striker Chadli Amri.

Defender Nadir Belhadj and goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi were selected despite being banned for the opening Group C match against Slovenia due to red cards received in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal against Egypt.

While Portsmouth's Belhadj can play in the second game against Hameur Bouazza, Chaouchi is suspended until the final pool clash with the United States.

Key midfielder Mourad Meghni, who plays for Italian club Lazio, has been ruled out of the finals with a knee problem that requires surgery.

(CNN) -- World Cup CEO Danny Jordaan has said South Africa is ready for the start of the 2010 World Cup which begins on 11 June, as the Australian national team became the first participating side to arrive in the host country.

The Socceroos landed in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, where they will train for their opening group match of the World Cup against Germany on 13 June.

"We are pleased to welcome Australia as the first team to arrive in our country. We all know that the stadiums are all ready, everything is in place and now the teams are finally here," Jordaan told the official FIFA Web site.

"More importantly though, our people are ready. From now, we have to concentrate on the kickoff match in a few days' time."

Wednesday also saw the official handover of the brand-new Cape Town Stadium -- which reportedly cost $350 million to build -- in the presence of FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Another 90,000 World Cup tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday morning -- including tickets for the opening games, semifinals and final. FIFA have also said that there are approximately 160,000 tickets -- out of the total 2.88 million available -- which remain unsold.

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil joined Australia in South Africa on Thursday -- their opening match against North Korea will take place on 15 June at Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium.

"I am very impressed by the Brazilian team," the chairman of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee South Africa, Irvin Khoza told the FIFA Web site.

"The arrival of Brazil gives great confidence to all South Africans that this World Cup is really happening."

Meanwhile, the host nation registered a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Colombia in Johannesburg on Thursday night, with all three goals coming from the penalty spot.

Midfielder Teko Modise put Bafana Bafana ahead in the 18th minute in front of a crowd of 75,000 in the first international match at the new Soccer City stadium, though he was lucky to have a second attempt after the referee ruled that goalkeeper David Ospina moved too early before saving his first effort.

Giovanni Moreno leveled three minutes later for Colombia, who did not qualify for the World Cup, with a spot-kick after Adrian Ramos was fouled.

Striker Katlego Mphela's 58th-minute winner left South Africa unbeaten in nine matches since Carlos Alberto Parreira returned for his second spell as coach.

Parreira's team continue their preparations against Guatemala on Monday before a June 5 clash with fellow finalists Denmark, who won 2-0 at home to Senegal on Thursday.

Earlier, Honduras drew 2-2 with Belarus in Austria, while Chile beat Zambia 3-0 with two goals from Italy-based striker Alexis Sanchez and fellow South American qualifiers Uruguay crushed Israel 4-1 after a late double from substitute Sebastien Abreu.

(CNN) -- France and the Netherlands both recorded narrow home victories in warm-up matches ahead of next month's World Cup in South Africa.

Robin van Persie scored twice as the Dutch defeated fellow finalists Mexico 2-1 and Mathieu Valbuena grabbed an 83rd minute winner on his debut in France's 2-1 victory over Costa Rica.

Van Persie, playing his first international for six months following an ankle injury, scored from close range with his right foot to make it 1-0, before smashing home his second on the volley.

Mexico pulled a goal back 15 minutes from time when Manchester United-bound Javier Hernandez headed in a cross from the left.

Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos had a chance to level the score, but his powerful shot was tipped over the bar by Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

Costa Rica, who are not going to South Africa after losing a play-off to Uruguay in November, took a surprise lead in the 12th minute when Carlos Hernandez's long-range shot bounced over Steve Mandanda's hands.

Yoann Gourcuff had a goal ruled out for offside before France claimed their leveler via an own-goal.

Jeremy Toulalan fed Franck Ribery, whose shot was deflected into his own net by Douglas Sequeira.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw before Valbuena came off the bench to slam in the winner seven minutes from time.

Meanwhile, Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez were the surprise names in the 23-man U.S. squad for the World Cup.

Coach Bob Bradley cut seven players from his initial roster, namely defenders Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers; and forwards Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson.

The Americans, beaten 4-2 by the Czech Republic on Tuesday, take on England on June 12 in Rustenburg in their opening World Cup match.

England striker Wayne Rooney has played down fears he is not fully fit.

Rooney suffered from groin and ankle injuries towards the end of the season with Manchester United and had a stiff neck during England's 3-1 victory over Mexico on Monday.

"Fitness-wise I feel good," Rooney told reporters at the England camp. "I have been in every training session with England since we got together."

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was satisfied after seeing his team beat Colombia 2-1 in a scrappy FIFA World Cup™ warm-up at Soccer City on Thursday.

With the FIFA World Cup hosts due to play in the opening match on 11 June against Mexico at the rebuilt stadium, the Brazilian said he was pleased how his players responded to the frenzied atmosphere made by 75,000 supporters. "I'm happy that we have played here now because we could not start the World Cup without having experienced that atmosphere," he said.

"Colombia are a big team and there was excitement from beginning to end. I'm pleased with my players because they will face all these challenges against Mexico on June 11. We didn't play as well as the last game (against Bulgaria) but conditions were different - it was like a World Cup game."

Parreira added: "The boys fought well but lacked some experience in the last 10 minutes and should have kept hold of the ball more. But it is part of the learning process and we won."

"South Africa have a dynamic team who work hard," said Colombia coach Hernan Gomez. "Parreira is an experienced head coach and he has organised them well, but it is difficult to know how they will get on in the World Cup."

Bongani Khumalo, voted man of the match for a solid display in central defence, admitted the atmosphere had acted as an inspiration. "It's a great motivation for us to play in such a wonderful stadium and I think we will be used to it by the time we play Mexico," he said.

Parreira must decide on his 23-man squad after a friendly against Guatemala on Monday and admitted it will be a hard call, saying he would speak to each player regarding his decisions. "I'll talk to them face to face. This is the best way. They know the situation is that we can take only 23 players, but it is always a tough decision to kill someone's dream."

South Africa extended an unbeaten run to nine games since Carlos Alberto Parreira returned as coach last November with a 2-1 victory over Colombia on Thursday in a tense 2010 FIFA World Cup™ warm-up.

The host nation played better football when drawing with Bulgaria three days ago, but the sell-out 75,000 crowd at Soccer City did not care as they celebrated a winning Bafana Bafana (The Boys) debut at the rebuilt stadium. All the goals came from penalties with midfielder Teko Modise and striker Katlego Mphela the South African scorers and Giovanni Moreno converting his kick for non-qualifiers Colombia.

Parreira introduced West Ham striker Benni McCarthy, under fire from the domestic media who claim he is overweight, midway through the second half but he did not get a chance to add to his record 32-goal international haul.

"We fought and we got the result we wanted against experienced opponents with many Europe-based players. Some of my team were nervous toward the end," said Brazilian Parreira.

New Colombia coach Hernan Gomez showered praise on South Africa: "They are a really great team who have a highly respected coach. It was a really tough, competitive match."

A first half lacking rhythm finished 1-1 with Modise converting his penalty at the second attempt on 18 minutes and Giovanni Moreno levelling from another spot kick three minutes later. But South Africa were lucky to be level as Colombia opened yawning gaps at times in a defence struggling despite the presence of foreign-based Aaron Mokoena and Tsepo Masilela.

It was the first time since Parreira had his entire squad on call that he did not start with an all-local line-up and the side were unimpressive despite passionate backing on a dry, cool night.

A tale of three penalties
Modise was the first to score making no mistake at the second attempt sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, after originally seeing his penalty saved, only for the referee to order a re-take deeming the goalkeeper had moved off his line too early.

Colombia, who have failed to qualify for three consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments since 1998, won their penalty when goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, injured in an early collision with Jackson Martinez, fouled Adrian Ramos. Moreno stepped up to fire the ball into the corner of the net and the visitors had deservedly restored equality.

Masilela rescued South Africa in the first minute of stoppage time by blocking a shot from Martinez as Colombia looked more dangerous than the first African country to stage the FIFA World Cup when pressing forward. Parreira changed goalkeepers for the second half with Moeneeb Josephs coming on and both central midfielders were also replaced with Kagisho Dikgacoi and Everton Player of the Season Steven Pienaar entering the fray.

Yet another penalty, awarded for a foul on Siphiwe Tshabalala by Jhon Valencia, put South Africa ahead again on 58 minutes as previously quiet Katlego Mphela sent Ospina the wrong way.

Guatemala are next up for South Africa on 31 May in the northern city of Polokwane followed by a final warm-up against fellow FIFA World Cup qualifiers Denmark - 2-0 winners over Senegal on Thursday in Denmark - on 5 June near Pretoria.

As the clock ticks down and anticipation grows for the kick-off of the World Cup in South Africa, there is a burning question that bothers many soccer fans the world over.

It is not whether the African hosts will be up to the task of holding the sporting showpiece, or if the Vuvuzela will prove the most annoying accessory in the history of football spectating. No, the poser that is pressing on the minds of passionate devotees across the planet is who will be the World Cup's best player?

From armchair aficionados to brand executives who have paid millions of dollars to be associated with big-name footballers, each is keen to know which man will etch his legend into the history books by turning on the magic on the biggest stage of them all. You may have your own ideas on who it will be.

Ahead of the first game, for this writer, there are a handful of leading contenders, and sadly for the hard-working goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders of this world - it is those with an eye for goal that make up the numbers.

Heading the list is Argentina's Lionel Messi - a man who many see as the natural successor to Diego Maradona. After being crowned World Player of the Year by FIFA, the diminutive attacker notched up a staggering 34 goals from 35 appearances to help his side Barcelona retain their league crown. He also top-scored in the European Champions League with eight strikes in 11 games.

But two factors may count against the 22-year-old. He has surely played more games in the last two years than any other international player (Barcelona won six trophies in the previous campaign), so he is due a dip in form. To add to this Maradona, his national coach, has still yet find out how to get the best out of Messi for Argentina.

England's Wayne Rooney is another who has the ability to shine after proving his worth with a superlative season for English side Manchester United. Top-scoring for his club with 26 goals in 32 games, the fiery 24-year-old also netted nine times in nine games to fire Fabio Capello's England side to South Africa qualification.

However, Rooney has been hit with a number of minor injuries in the last few months and does not have a great record of maintaining fitness at major tournaments (he limped out of the quarterfinals of Euro 2004 and was hampered in the 2006 World Cup after recovering from a broken foot). Much will also depend on his temper; he needs to remain calm to steer clear of any costly suspensions.

Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba has been seen by many as the man who could lead the Elephants to become the first African nation to overall victory. Though such a claim might still a long shot, there is no doubting the awesome Ivorian's importance to his side.

Coach Sven Goran Eriksson will be hoping his captain brings his rich scoring form to the fields of South Africa - Drogba was the English Premier League's top goalscorer after racking up 29 goals in 32 games for newly-crowned champions Chelsea.

Ivory Coast do not always live up to pre-tournament hype either, as their experience at both the 2006 and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations showed, so the 32-year-old will need support from his teammates. If the likes of Salomon Kalou, Yaya Toure or Bakary Kone get injured or suspended, Drogba may be short of supply.

Former world player of the year Kaka became a Real Madrid Galactico after a big-money move to the Spanish giants in mid-2009, but was blighted by injury for much of the season just gone. This may prove an advantage, as he arguably could travel to Africa feeling fresh.

If he can recapture the form that made him the man to watch at the 2009 Confederations Cup and helped to power AC Milan to the Champions League title in 2007, he has all the skills needed to help Brazil win the World Cup for the sixth time.

Bizarrely, the player who has arguably the most difficult task of stamping his mark on the tournament is Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. This is because, despite the 25-year-old scoring an unbelievable 26 times in 29 appearances in La Liga - a feat which almost single-handedly kept Real Madrid in the title race - his national side are in stuttering form.

Carlos Queiroz's Portugal are up against it to progress from a group that features Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea, so the question remains whether Ronaldo will dumped out of the tournament too early to have fully captured the imagination.

From Friday, 28 May at 9.00am, there will be around 90,000 additional tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ available for public sale across all 64 matches, including the Final, the Opening Game and the two Semi-Finals. In total there are about 160,000 tickets still available for the public via the current sales channels (FIFA.com, Call Centre, Ticketing Centres, FNB Branches and Shoprite/Checkers).

34,000 of these tickets are available in category 4 (the most affordable for South African residents only), 28,000 in category 3, 23,000 in category 2 and 75,000 in category 1. “For the Final there are only about 800 tickets left, but for other matches it’s up to a few thousands”, explained FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

So far 96% of the total of 2,88 million purchasable tickets have been sold. The additional 90,000 tickets for public sale have become available following the finalisation of seating arrangements at all FIFA World Cup™ match venues, after the final stadium inspections have been completed, and further adjustments of different ticket allocations.

“The target is to reach about 97 or 98% which would correspond with the figures from the past FIFA World Cups and this would make us very happy,” said Valcke.

“One thing is clear, this is the last big inventory available for the public,” emphasised Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa.

European champions Spain have one of the most complete sides in world football and an in-depth squad packed full of talent, but a spate of injuries to key players is disrupting the preparations for their 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Liverpool forward Fernando Torres, Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas and Barcelona's creative midfielder Andres Iniesta all missed the tail end of their respective league seasons due to injury leaving coach Vicente del Bosque with a major headache.

The three youngsters were pivotal for Spain in their UEFA EURO 2008 success and Del Bosque is sweating on their fitness ahead of the South Africa showpiece. The 26-year-old Torres, who scored the winner in the 1-0 2008 final win over Germany, had to have a knee operation to repair cartilage torn in a UEFA Europa League match against Benfica on 8 April and has not played since.

Torres has been plagued by injuries over the past few seasons and faces a battle to be fit for Spain's opening Group H match against Switzerland on 16 June. "It's been a hard year due to injuries, and it's a massive shame that I haven't been able to play more matches," said Torres. "Now all I have left to look forward to is to try and be fit for South Africa. I have been waiting four years for this and, if all goes well, I do not anticipate missing it."

Fabregas confident
Arsenal captain Fabregas, 23, is another player on the sidelines having suffered a fracture in his right leg during his side's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match on 31 March. Fabregas, 23, missed the remainder of the season although he is confident of making the FIFA World Cup.

"On May 24, I will join up with the Spanish national team and should be able to join in a bit when we play Saudi Arabia five days later," said Fabregas recently. "Now I just have to be patient, making sure I come back as strongly as I can. The timing is looking good for the World Cup."

Iniesta, 25, is another star performer on the treatment table after tearing a muscle in his right leg. The Barcelona midfielder has not played since 10 April and is fighting against the clock to be match fit for the FIFA World Cup. "This is one of my most difficult moments, but life has taught me not to give up," said Iniesta.

The Spanish media has voiced its concern at the three injuries and the latest concern is experienced Barcelona midfielder Xavi. The 30-year-old Xavi, a crucial player for Spain and voted best player at Euro 2008, has been playing with a calf injury during the title run-in to help out Barcelona.

Spain had a clean bill of health when they surged to European championship glory under Luis Aragones, however, his successor Del Bosque has much more problems knowing that even if the players get back fit they will lack match sharpness having not played competitive matches.

If the progress from a group featuring Switzerland, Honduras and Chile, Spain will need star performers such as Torres, Fabregas, Xavi and Iniesta for the last 16 when they could face Brazil or Portugal.

Ronaldo became the all-time top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup™ history when he took his overall tournament tally to 15 in Germany four years ago, surpassing the previous best mark of 14 held by Germany's Gerd Muller.

The former Brazil star featured in three editions of the FIFA World Cup - 1998, 2002 and 2006 - and he was also in the Brazil squad at USA 94, although he was not selected to play. He opened his FIFA World Cup account in a 3-0 win over Morocco in 1998, and his last in the competition came in a victory over Ghana by the same scoreline at Germany 2006.

In total, Ronaldo - a FIFA World Cup winner in 2002 - netted 62 goals in 97 full international appearances for his country. He is currently playing for Corinthians back in Brazil after a European career which took him to PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

South American rivals Chile and Uruguay both enjoyed comfortable friendly victories over Zambia and Israel respectively.

Marcelo Bielsa's Chile, who are grouped with Spain, Honduras and Switzerland at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ next month, started slowly but made a second-half improvement through two of their star players to beat Zambia 3-0. Young winger Alexis Sanchez, starting from the bench for a change, made the breakthrough in the 52nd minute. With the African minnows' goal breached, Sanchez eventually made it 2-0 six minutes from time before, two minutes later, former captain Jorge Valdivia put further gloss on the scoreline.

Fellow finals qualifiers Uruguay, meanwhile, were more impressive in overcoming Israel 4-1. Diego Forlan (14') put the South Americans in front only for Lior Rafaelov to level just before the half-hour mark. However, goals by Alvaro Pereira (36') and a double in the last six minutes from veteran striker Sebastian Abreu secured what proved to be a comfortable night's work.

ROME: Jose Mourinho’s time as Inter Milan coach is over said the Champions League winners’ president Massimo Moratti after having dined with him on Monday according ton the Ansa news agency.

Moratti said that the 47-year-old Portuguese’s attitude had been one that had already made his mind up to leave and take over at Spanish giants Real Madrid, who despite spending hundreds of millions on star players last summer ended up without a trophy.

Mourinho is seen as the obvious coach to turn to to deliver silverware having become the youngest coach to win the Champions League twice – he also won it with Porto in 2004 – and guiding Inter to an unprecedented treble for an Italian club of the Champions League, the league title and the Italian Cup.

“I believe yes,” said Moratti responding to a question as to whether he thought Mourinho’s work was finished at Inter.

“His attitude was that of somebody who believes he is going to Real Madrid,” added Moratti, who said it had been an interesting discussion.

Mourinho’s agent held talks with Real Madrid bosses in the Spanish capital on Monday over the Portuguese coach’s possible move to the club from Inter Milan.

The agent, Jorge Mendes, who also represents Real’s Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, held talks for about 90 minutes with the club’s director general Jorge Valdano and sporting director Miguel Pardeza.

Spanish sports dailies AS and Marca, reported on Sunday that Mourinho will sign a four-year deal with Real Madrid worth 10mil (US$12.5mil) a year.

The stumbling block to the deal remains the talks with Inter Milan, who are demanding 16mil to let him leave the Italian side, they said.

His current contract with Inter Milan was due to expire in 2012 but has on several occasions expressed his dislike for Italian football.

Mourinho told Portuguese television station TVI on Sunday that the deal is almost a certainty but he wants to meet with Real officials first to get a clear understanding of what his role at the club would be.

“Things are practically ironed out. I want to meet the people, feel the pulse, know exactly what they want from me and the conditions, not the structures, because these I already know, to avoid any doubts when I begin my work,” he said.

Mourinho, who won the Premier League with Chelsea after leaving Porto, also had a warning for Real’s squad – which is loaded with stars such as Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain, in addition to Ronaldo.

“The stars now are Inter, they are the European champions. My message to the players of Real, if I come to coach them, is that they are not stars, the star is not the coach, the star is the team,” he said.

“If they all accept this like when I was at Porto, Chelsea or Inter, the victories will come.”

Mourinho, who has not lost a home match for the past seven seasons, follows Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld as a member of the select band of coaches to have won the Champions League with two different clubs.

The Portuguese, who joined Inter two years ago, has also won two Serie A titles and an Italian Cup.

Speaking after the Champions League final, he acknowledged to having his eye on making history by becoming the only coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs. — AFP

(CNN) -- The United States will unveil its final 23-man roster on Wednesday for next month's soccer World Cup in South Africa.

Coach Bob Bradley will cut seven from his provisional squad, having run the rule over several fringe players in Tuesday night's 4-2 defeat by the Czech Republic.

The U.S. will take on England, Slovenia and Algeria in the first round of the tournament, which kicks off June 11. It is the United States' sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.

Tournament rules require that countries submit their roster to soccer's world governing body FIFA by June 1.

After the rosters are finalized, a team may replace an injured player up to 24 hours prior to the first match of the tournament. However, the replacement player does not have to be selected from the 30-man preliminary list.

Before heading to South Africa, the team plays its final home match against Turkey on May 29 in Philadelphia.

Tuesday's friendly in Connecticut saw Bradley rest first-choice stars such as Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Jozy Altidore.

"We learned some things tonight. Obviously we're not happy with the score, but we'll keep working now," Bradley told reporters in quotes carried by FIFA's Web site.

Midfielder Maurice Edu put the U.S. ahead from close range in the 18th minute as he continued his comeback from a long layoff, but the Czechs leveled just before halftime as Tomas Sivok climbed above Oguchi Onyewu -- who has also been sidelined for several months -- to head home.

Bradley made five changes at halftime, but it was the visitors who continued to press as David Lafata had a goal ruled out for offside and then set up Jan Polak to make it 2-1 on 58 minutes.

Hercules Gomez, who plays for Mexican club Pachuca, made it 2-2 with a header seven minutes later, but the Czechs went ahead again through Martin Fenin on 77 and Tomas Necid wrapped up victory right at the end.

Jamie Carragher is happy to be England's flexible friend in South Africa this summer. One of the major reasons why Carragher announced his international retirement three years ago was he became fed up at being repeatedly overlooked to fill one of his favoured centre-half berths when either Rio Ferdinand or John Terry was unavailable.

Instead, Carragher either remained on the bench or had to slot in at full-back, which led to growing resentment from the Liverpool star and, ultimately, internal questions about whether he was making a worthwhile contribution.

In deciding to accept Fabio Capello's offer of an international return, Carragher has been happy to put such reservations aside. He clearly has a huge amount of respect for Capello's coaching ability, enough to accept making a contribution in any area of the field the Italian thinks is required.

"Centre-back is my best position. I think everyone is aware of that," said the 32-year-old. "But if you look at the squad, maybe the manager does see me playing a different position, which is something I will have to adapt to. Basically, I will just do whatever the manager says."
Basically, I will just do whatever the manager says.
Jamie Carragher, England

Carragher won his 35th cap on Monday night as a half-time substitute for Ferdinand, which gave him a chance to partner another old face returning to the England camp, Ledley King. However, as Capello looks to manipulate his squad, it is as cover for Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson at right-back that Carragher's place in South Africa is likely to be earned.

Capello is also aware he could use the defender on the left side, or even in the holding midfield position that Gareth Barry seems unlikely to fill for the Group C opener against the USA in Rustenburg on 12 June.

Happily, it seems that particular vacancy will only be open for one game following the positive vibes that came from the scan Barry had on his ankle injury yesterday. Positive would also be an accurate description of the feeling about Carragher's chances of being among the 23 names Capello unveils as his FIFA World Cup™ squad on 1 June.

After all, there would seem little point in the Italian going out of his way to persuade Carragher to return, only to dump him at the first available opportunity. Not that the player himself is taking anything for granted. "It's up to the manager," reflected Carragher. "There is another game against Japan and another week's training. After that we will see."

Carragher could not have wished for a smoother re-entry to the international scene. A good reception from close friend Steven Gerrard was guaranteed, but Carragher has been delighted at the warmth with which he has been invited back into the fold.

Part of that is due to his declaration that he would only return if he was not taking anyone's place which, with Joleon Lescott and Wes Brown both injured at the back end of the season, he has not done. There seemed no antagonism either from the Wembley crowd on Monday for the comments he made in his autobiography, which admittedly were more pro-Liverpool than anti-England.

"I thank the crowd for their reception," said Carragher. "As I said before the game, I could understand it if they weren't too happy with my situation but I think they just wanted to get behind the team before the World Cup and send the squad out in good spirits."

Having made his debut in 1999, Carragher has experienced a number of England managers and clearly has not been too impressed with some of the decisions that have been made. There are no such worries over Capello, who seems to have generated a universal view that he will get more out of this set of individuals, whatever that ends up being, than anyone else could.

"Every manager has his own ideas and different ways of doing things," said Carragher. "But Fabio's track record speaks for itself. Whatever the manager has done through his career it has proved successful. Hopefully it will be that way again."

Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz is convinced he will be ready for the FIFA World Cup™ finals as he fights for match sharpness. The Manchester City striker's season has been decimated by the knee problems which caused him to undergo surgery last summer, and he was only able to play a bit-part in his club's unsuccessful attempt to fight their way into the Premier League's top four.

That has left the 28-year-old short of game time with less than three weeks to go before Paraguay's campaign gets under way against reigning champions Italy in Cape Town on 14 June. Santa Cruz got 77 minutes under his belt in last night's 2-1 friendly defeat by the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, and is confident he will be in top form by the time he gets to South Africa.

He said: "It's one of the reasons those games are made for, to see if players who haven't played that much this season can find a bit of rhythm here. I feel really good in terms of the knee and I am very pleased and happy that it let me play and train regularly. I am very confident I can get into a good rhythm."
I feel really good in terms of the knee. I am very confident I can get into a good rhythm.
Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay

Santa Cruz lined up as one of three strikers in coach Gerardo Martino's adventurous 3-4-3 formation with debutant Lucas Barrios in the middle of the trio, and the former Blackburn frontman admits that role is one to which he is still adapting.

He said: "It's hard when you are not playing in that position in your team - I am the main striker when I play at City, so it is something you need to get used to. It takes a lot more power to get back to the defence and then get back to the attacking line. But I felt very good, and also against North Korea the last time, I felt very good. We have two more games now before the World Cup starts, and I think those games are going to help me get into the best rhythm possible."

Paraguay chose Ireland as warm-up opponents as they prepare for clashes with European sides Italy and Slovakia in Group F, with New Zealand their remaining opponents during the opening phase of the finals. Martino later admitted they could not afford to make the kind of mistakes they did in Dublin - Santa Cruz headed against his own crossbar to hand Kevin Doyle the chance to put the home side ahead with just seven minutes gone and Liam Lawrence doubled his side's tally before the break - if they are to prosper at the finals.

The striker said: "We knew it was going to be a good exercise for us. We need to play against teams who are like Italy and Slovakia, teams that are European and have games similar to what we expect to find there. We were a bit unlucky with the goals, the first one especially, and then we managed to play the game and to be dangerous, so it was good." Paraguay will complete their preparations with games against Ivory Coast and Greece.

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac insists Michael Essien's involvement in the FIFA World Cup™ is vital, not just to his country but to the tournament itself. The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder missed a large part of last season due to knee and ankle injuries and has hardly played any competitive football since December, making him a major doubt for the trip to South Africa. But his national boss is hoping he will be fit.

"Essien is an important player, not only for Ghana but for the World Cup," Rajevac told the Ghana Football Association (GFA) website. "He is one of the best players in the world and the World Cup is an assembly of the best. Ghana wants him there, the organisers want him there and the world wants him there. Argentina is going and people want to see (Lionel) Messi, Portugal is going and people want to see (Cristiano) Ronaldo, Ghana is going and people want to see Essien."

Essien, who was due to meet officials from both club and country in London this week, will reportedly link up with the Black Stars at their French base camp on Friday. Rajevac revealed that he was expecting Essien to be fit, but insisted that he did have contingency plans.

"I am confident he can make it," he said. "But if he doesn't make it we have to do without him. There are other young and hungry players who will be equally passionate to play."
Ghana wants him there, the organisers want him there and the world wants him there.
Milovan Rajevac, Ghana coach

The Serbian coach is also awaiting news on defender John Mensah and striker Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, who are yet to be passed 100% fit for the June 11 to July 11 competition. But he is confident, adding: "I hope all (injuries) are cleared before (the World Cup) starts. Some are experiencing injuries. But the World Cup is the best show for the best players in the world. I hope all will come. The competition gathers the best squads and the best players will be there. Once the players are fit, they will come and some would make a big mark."

Meanwhile, midfielder Stephen Appiah has described his return to the national fold as being like a trial. The Bologna player, who led the west Africans at the last World Cup four years ago, has struggled to hold down a regular place in the side over the past two years as injuries and a lack of club football took their toll. But after being selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the training camp in Paris, he is now hoping to prove he is ready for a permanent return.

He told www.kickoffghana.com: "I have been telling some of the players we are going to play a justifier. I am going to train well and be a part of the team. I want to be in South Africa and I want to show the coach I am ready and I am fit and that this is a different Stephen Appiah.

"Even when I was playing always I knew I had to work hard to be in the Ghana squad. I didn't see myself as a regular choice so for me nothing has changed and that is what I want to do. I am going to love the competition. There were young ones who did brilliantly in Angola at the Nations Cup.

"Now we have to struggle first to be in the 23-man squad and then to earn a starting place." Ghana, who are making a second appearance at the finals, are in Group D, alongside Germany, Serbia and Australia.

Cesc Fabregas has insisted his thoughts are focused solely on recovering from injury and playing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, not on transfer speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona. The Catalan giants are keen to bring the 23-year-old back to Spain and confirmed this week they have made initial contact with Arsenal regarding the midfielder, although without yet making an offer.

Fabregas, who was on Barcelona's books as a youngster before moving to London seven years ago, has also revealed his desire to return to the club. However, an imminent resolution to the situation seems unlikely, and the player has stated that his mind is now set on international matters and not where he will be playing his club football next season.
A World Cup is too important to think about other things. I'm 100 per cent focused. I will give everything to help Spain be champions.
Cesc Fabregas

"I'm very calm," Fabregas said. "A World Cup is too important to think about other things. I'm 100 per cent focused and recovering from the injury, the only important thing is to form part of this team and play in the World Cup. When I play it's always to win and help my team-mates. I will give everything to help Spain be champions."

Fabregas missed the end of the Premier League season after suffering a cracked bone in his fibula during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Barça on 31 March.

However, he said of his recovery: "The feelings couldn't be better after training three days normally. Now it's as if I'm in pre-season, I have heavy legs which is normal at the start."

Fabregas revealed how a valuable discussion with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has allowed him to join the Spain squad with no pressure on his shoulders. The playmaker is waiting for developments, if they transpire, but will not let the issue of his future trouble him.

"I talked with Arsene," Fabregas said. "It was probably the greatest conversation I have had with someone in my life. I respect him so much. I don't want to say too much about this.
I talked with Arsene. He told me to concentrate on the World Cup, he told me to leave it in his hands and he will deal with whatever happens in my future.
Cesc Fabregas on a conversation with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

"He told me to concentrate on my football, he told me to concentrate on the World Cup, he told me to leave it in his hands and he will deal with whatever happens in my future. And that's what I'm doing, just concentrating on football.

"It's not up to me anymore. It's just now about Arsenal and whoever it has to be, and that's it. I don't want to say anything else. I just want to be focused for the World Cup because it's the most important thing. The rest, the future, I'm not interested in the future."

BUENOS AIRES: Two-time World Cup winners Argentina eased to a 5-0 victory over Canada here on Monday for a morale-boosting win ahead of flying to South Africa on Friday for the World Cup Finals, which run from June 11-July 11.
Even without the side’s superstar Lionel Messi, who was rested and sat watching from the stands, the Argentinians had little trouble from one of the game’s minnows as they cruised to a fifth successive victory this year, albeit three have come against second tier opposition.
Nevertheless Argentina’s unpredictable coach Diego Maradona was delighted with the performance and the outcome in what was the largest victory recorded by his side since he assumed the post at the end of 2008.

“The most positive thing is that we have made people happy,” said the 50-year-old, who became a national hero as he virtually singlehandedly inspired Argentina to the 1986 World Cup trophy.
“And also that we were eager to show what we were capable of and a lot more besides that.”
Maradona, too, was delighted with the way that his idea of playing three up front, albeit with Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Hiugain playing in a more advanced role than Carlos Pastore, who stood in for Messi.
“This performance showed that Argentina can play with three strikers at the World Cup Finals,” said a confident Maradona.
Liverpool wing Maxi Rodriguez grabbed a double, scoring with a 16th minute freekick and then grabbing his second in the 32nd minute after being teed up by Tevez.
Benfica midfielder Angel Di Maria added a third with a stunning shot with the outside of his left foot in the 37th minute before Tevez deservedly got on the score sheet, after superb work by Higuain, who on three occasions was denied when one on one with the goalkeeper.
Maradona’s son-in-law Sergio Aguero rounded off the scoring with a fine individual effort 18 minutes from fulltime.
Argentina – who struggled through the qualifiers and whose squad is lacking several notable players including Inter Milan duo Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso – are in Group B at the World Cup Finals along with 2002 semi-finalists South Korea, Euro 2004 champions Greece and African giants Nigeria. — AFP

With 21 days to go until the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, Hyundai∙Kia Motors handed over the ground transportation for the tournament to FIFA in an Official Vehicle Handover Ceremony at Soccer City, South Africa today.

The fleet of vehicles include the buses that will transport all 32 participating teams during the competition. In total there will be 830 Hyundai∙Kia passenger cars/vans and 32 Hyundai Universe Express Noble luxury coaches at the disposal of FIFA officials, national teams, members of the organizing committee, referees and media representatives.
The provision of official vehicles is the last piece of the puzzle in ensuring that this long-waited event will be the most successful World Cup in history.
FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Vàlcke

Mr. Sean Kim, Senior Vice-President of Hyundai Motor Company, and Mr. Soon-Nam Lee, Director of the Overseas Marketing Group for Kia Motors Corporation, symbolically presented an oversized car key to FIFA Secretary General, Jérôme Vàlcke and CEO of the FIFA Local Organising Committee, Dr. Danny Jordaan, in front of the full fleet display. Valcke commented: “The provision of official vehicles is the last piece of the puzzle in ensuring that this long-waited event will be the most successful World Cup in history.”

Forming the display was the Hyundai Universe Express Noble right-hand drive luxury coaches. The coaches have been specially manufactured and vibrantly decorated with national team colours for use during South Africa 2010.

Hyundai∙Kia is extremely proud of their strong association with FIFA, during which the company has demonstrated itself to be a reliable and effective partner by serving as the official automotive supplier to all FIFA-sanctioned events around the world. Hyundai∙Kia is currently one of FIFA Partners and has extended its strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA and UEFA to cover international competitions hosted by the associations, including 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups as well as UEFA EURO 2012 and 2016.

Ledley King insists he can play a key role in the FIFA World Cup™ after making a goalscoring return to the England side.

The Tottenham defender with the chronic knee problem had not played for his country for three years, but his comeback, alongside Rio Ferdinand in central defence, was encouraging on two fronts.

First he scored the opening goal in last night's 3-1 win over Mexico with a header from a corner. Then he completed the full 90 minutes on Wembley's heavy pitch to prove his fitness.

For someone whose international career seemed to be at an end when he was called up for the matches against Slovakia and Ukraine 15 months ago but released without so much as completing a training session, just pulling on the England shirt for the 20th time was a major achievement.

King said: "It's been a long time coming. I didn't know whether I would play again for England and it makes it all worthwhile. I wouldn't say it was one of my best games but it was tough because Mexico are a good side."

However, King has much more to aim for. England manager Fabio Capello will now rest him for Sunday's final warm-up match against Japan in Graz. But it seems certain King will be part of the 23-man squad Capello unveils on 1 June, and the 29-year-old is certain his body can cope with the demands of a five-week tournament.
The more I play the fitter I get, and the medical staff are doing a brilliant job to help me prepare for the games. I will try to be as fit as I can and we'll see where it goes
Ledley King, England defender

He said: "With the knee I'm confident. This season I've had problems with the muscle but I've put that behind me now and got games under my belt. I played three games in the last week of the season so it proves I can do it and can play games in quick succession. And the Wembley pitch was quite energy sapping.

"The more I play the fitter I get, and the medical staff are doing a brilliant job to help me prepare for the games. I will try to be as fit as I can and we'll see where it goes."

Although he took time to adjust to his new surroundings, King did improve as the match went on after scoring his first England goal for six years. "Is that all?" he quipped when reminded of the statistic. "That was a nice touch but the main thing was the team getting a result. We played against a good side and found it difficult at times but we got the result."

While King lasted the entire match, Ferdinand played just the first half, with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher taking over at half-time, also ending a three-year exile from England colours, the difference being the Liverpool man's was self-imposed.

Ferdinand, however, was certain King had done enough to convince Capello his body can stand up to the rigours of a four-week tournament. Ferdinand said: "Ledley's a good player and good players play well alongside other good players. I enjoyed it. We both enjoyed it. He got a goal as well, which was great.

"From set-pieces everyone knows we are fairly decent and in the tournament hopefully that bodes well for us. Ledley had a great chance to show the manager what he can do and I thought he did a great job.

"Mexico qualified for the World Cup and they are a good team. We knew we were in for a tough game but by the end of it we were the team that controlled it."

As a relative newcomer to the squad, King is in a good position to assess the impact of the present regime compared to what has gone before. And he has no doubt who has made the biggest difference to the England side since he was last in it.

"There's a lot of different personnel," said King. "But what we do have is a manager who is a proven winner. At every level he has managed at he has achieved."

Fabio Capello has said that he would stand proud for England even if his team faced has native Italy in the FIFA World Cup™ final.

On the evidence of last night's performance against Mexico, there are still a few teething problems for Capello to address before his dream scenario can come true.

However, should his adopted national team come face-to-face with the Azzurri at Soccer City on 11 July, there is not a moment's hesitation about what Capello would want the outcome to be.

"I hope to play against Italy in the final or the semi-final but at that moment my shirt would be an England shirt," he said. "I would not swap my position with (Italy boss) Marcello Lippi. I prefer to be England manager."

It might not have seemed that way during the first half of England's 3-1 win over Mexico. The four Chelsea players who sat out the contest must have reflected what a good 45 minutes it had been to miss, given England's inability to stem the flow of speedy Mexicans flying through midfield and attacking an unprotected defence.

Capello rarely wastes an opportunity to emphasise how impressed he is with James Milner. On this occasion, the Aston Villa man struggled. And Milner was not alone, given central midfield partner Michael Carrick failed to exert any kind of influence on proceedings.

It was not until Steven Gerrard was switched from his left-sided station at the break that some coherence was evident in England's play. Better now than in three weeks though, according to Capello.
I would not swap my position with (Italy boss) Marcello Lippi. I prefer to be England manager
Fabio Capello, England manager

"I am not worried about that performance. It is important to make the mistakes now," he said. "We have time to work on these mistakes and other things that we have to do to be better, to ensure we play like I know this team can play because we have really good players. We need to recover the spirit of what we did in qualification."

That run of nine wins from 10 games forms the basis of optimism England fans insisted would not exist in the wake of the awful failure to reach Euro 2008. Capello is responsible for the change in attitude. Yet he must realise some of the back-up for what is regarded as his first-choice line-up is limited.

Gerrard's presence in central midfield merely showed how desperate England are for Gareth Barry to be fit and therefore avoid a return to that age-old question of whether the Liverpool skipper and Lampard can operate effectively in the same central midfield area.

"Gerrard can play in the centre and he can play on the left," reflected Capello. "He is an excellent player and I am really happy with his performance. But we have other players who can play in the same position, so we will see."

Robert Green was also singled out for special praise following two excellent saves. The West Ham goalkeeper has now started eight of England's last 10 matches and as the absent Ben Foster was involved in the other two, it does point to Green being handed the goalkeeping jersey for that crucial Group C opener against the United States in Rustenburg on 12 June.

Ledley King might only start if Barry's ankle injury has ruled him out - either of the match or the tournament - as the Tottenham captain is being thought of as a midfield holding player now Owen Hargreaves has been ruled out and Paul Scholes rejected a request to come out of international retirement.

However, although there were shaky aspects to King's first England appearance for three years, Capello appeared to confirm the 29-year-old's presence in South Africa by ruling him out of Sunday's final friendly against Japan in Graz but pencilling him in for an outing against the local PSL team Platinum Stars in Rustenburg on either 6 or 7 June .

"King is an important player and he is a good player," said Capello. "I decided before the game King would play for the full 90 minutes against Mexico. Now he can train for the rest of the period we stay in Austria. We have another match on 6 or 7 June when we get to South Africa and he can play then."

(CNN) -- Germany coach Joachim Low has suffered another injury blow ahead of the World Cup, with captain Michael Ballack's possible replacement Christian Trasch also ruled out.

Trasch had been touted to go to South Africa, with Germany short of experienced midfielders after Bayer Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes and then Ballack were sidelined, but the 22-year-old sprained his ankle early in a practice match in northern Italy on Monday night.

"Christian Trasch will not be available for us at the World Cup. It's disappointing news as Christian would have been in our final squad," assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick told the German Football Association Web site on Tuesday.

Low will not replace Trasch in his provisional squad, which he now needs to trim by two players to 23 by the June 1 deadline.

Bayern Munich's 74-cap Bastian Schweinsteiger is now Germany's most senior midfielder, with Hamburg's Piotr Trochowski, gifted playmaker Mesut Ozil and the left-sided Marko Marin also vying for places along with Trasch's two-cap Stuttgart clubmate Sami Khedira and 20-year-old Toni Kroos.

Ballack was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in the English FA Cup final earlier this month.

The Chelsea midfielder was caught by a bad tackle from Portsmouth's Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has decided to switch nationalities to play for Group D opponents Ghana and whose half-brother Jerome was earlier named in the preliminary 27-man German squad.

With No. 1 goalkeeper Rene Adler also sidelined by injury, the 35-year-old Hans-Jorg Butt received his first call-up since 2003 to vie for a starting place with Schalke's Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen's Tim Wiese.

Butt's young Bayern Munich clubmates Holger Badstuber, 21, and Thomas Muller, 20, gave the Bundesliga champions seven players in coach Joachim Low's squad.

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio is leaving the Premier League club after rejecting a pay-as-you-play deal.

The Brazilian's four-year career at Liverpool has been blighted by injuries and this season ended prematurely in February with a thigh problem. Because of his fitness record, the club offered the 30-year-old Aurelio a flexible contract based on the matches he played.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said Tuesday that “we had been trying to work something out with regards an extension but it was a pity that we couldn't.”

Benitez added that “the one problem we had with Fabio was that he suffered too many injuries and it was such a pity because he has great quality.” - AP

New technology Handheld GPS Navigator and Mobile Phone with Internet, the ultimate portable communications and multimedia device. Along with providing clear and reliable GPS directions, this all-in-one portable GPS navigator also allows you to make phone calls, send SMS messages, watch movies and videos, surf the internet, and much more.

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This Handheld GPS Navigator comes with a compact and portable design that holds a huge range of functions, fulfilling your every communications, entertainment, and navigational needs.

At a Glance...

* Convenient Handheld GPS Navigator + Mobile Phone + Internet all-in-one tech gadget
* Bluetooth enabled
* Built-in microphone and speaker
* 4.3 inch widescreen glare free touchscreen
* Watch movies, listen to music, read e-books
* Surf the internet
* Make phone calls and send SMS messages using any GSM SIM card (not included)
* Supports all of today's popular GPS navigation software

Manufacturer Specifications

# Primary Function: 4.3 Inch touchscreen GPS navigator with multimedia features and phone function
# Display: 4.3 inch widescreen glare free touchscreen
# Operating System Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 (compatible with all major GPS software packages)
# Memory:
- RAM: 128MB
- ROM (Internal Memory): 126MB
- External: MicroSD Card up to 8GB (2GB Included)
# Onboard Buttons / Slot:
- Power ON/OFF
- SD Card Slot
- Mini USB Connector
- Built-in Mic
- Built-in Speakers
- Headphones Socket (3.5mm)
- SIM Card Slot
# GPS Specifications:
- Platform: Samsung 2440
- Frequency: 400MHz
- Processor: SiRF SR-90
- GPS Standard: 20 channels, High-sensitivity GPS module , built-in antenna
- Speed Rate: 0.1m/s
- Data Update Rate: 1Hz
- Recapture Time: 0.1s on Average
- Hot Startup Time: Less than 2s
- Warm Startup Time: 32s on Average
- Cold Startup Time: Less than 35s
- Maximum Position Altitude: 18,000 m
- Maximum Speed Rate: 515m/s
- Interface: Touch Screen
- GUI Interface: YES - 3D type
- Maps: via SD card
- Voice: YES
# Phone Specifications:
- SIM Card Compatibility: 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G
- GSM Compatibility (TriBand): Frequencies 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz
- SMS: Yes
- MMS: No
- Internet: Yes, GPRS
# Multimedia Specifications:
- Video Player file formats: 3GP, AVI , MP4, WMV
- MP3 Player file formats: MP3, WAV, WMA
- Photo Viewer file formats: BMP, JPG ,PNG
- Ebook Reader file format: TXT
# OSD Language: English
# (Note: GPS voice and display languages depends on your GPS software package)
# Bluetooth: Yes
# Power Supply: 1900 mAh lithium–polymer battery
# External Power: 110~220V AC input; 5V output; AC/DC transformer
# Battery Life:
- 3-5 hours for video (active)
- 3-6 hours for music (active playback)
- 2-3 days (standby)
# Certifications: CE, FCC
# Dimensions: L:120 x W:83 x H:33 (mm)

Product Notes

# Accurate and reliable GPS Navigation using your choice of GPS software
# Handheld, portable and awesome!
# High speed processor, 400 MHz
# 4.3 inch widescreen glare free touchscreen
# Full touchscreen interface
# WinCE 5.0 operating system
# Highly sensitive GPS/AGPS receiver
# Fast GPS signal acquisition
# Multimedia functions include video, audio, photo and e-book playback
# Works worldwide! Support Tri band GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz
# Surf internet via GPRS
# This model is compatible with most brands of GPS software - however hardware specific software such as Garmin may not run on this unit.

Package Contents for CVTD-TR01

* Car Mounting Kit
* Additional Pen Stylus
* USB Cable
* Car Charger
* Software CD
* Power Adapter
* Free 2GB SD Card
* Free Travel Adapter (for UK, AU, NA, SA customers)

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

* How does this Portable GPS Navigator compare to TomTom's GO 740 Live 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable Live Internet Connected GPS Navigator?
You be the judge! TomTom GO 740: Full internet access and browsing? Nope. Make calls directly from the GPS Navigator? Nope. Send SMS messages? Nope. Cheap wholesale price? Nope.
* What does the camera icon do? I click on it and it does nothing?
The camera icon is for TR01-Deluxe. It has no use on this model.
* Does this GPS navigator come with any maps?
This GPS navigator only comes with an evaluation GPS software, this evaluation is used for testing purposes, you will need to buy a GPS Software that best suits your country.
* Does this unit come with an antenna?
No, the antenna is built in, so all you need to do is insert your GPS SD card that works best for your region and start using it straight out of the box.
* Does this unit come supplied with an SD card?
Yes, the GPS Navigator comes supplied with a 2GB SD card.
* Once I have the GPS software and maps, how do I install it into this device?
Copy the software and maps onto the SD card and insert it into the GPS navigator. From the main menu go to RUNAPP and browse your SD card. Look for a file that looks like this: nameofGPSsoftwaremaker.exe where the first part of the file before the dot is the name of the software maker, and the part after the dot signifies that it is an executable file.
* How much do I have to pay monthly to use GPS?
You don't have to pay to use GPS. The satellites which transmit GPS coordinates are maintained by the US government. You just need a GPS receiver to take advantage of the data. This Portable GPS Navigator contains a top of the line GPS receiver.

PRICE + SHIPPING : USD$146.35

Interactive unlocked dual SIM mobile phone featuring everything from, multimedia applications for playing music, videos, watching TV and listening to the radio, to its core communication features such as WiFi, Bluetooth, dual SIM with dual standby and personalized PDA for your day to day tasks and to-do lists.

The Napoli combines brawns & brains in one powerful unlocked WiFi mobile phone. This durably constructed GSM dual SIM cellphone is a slide phone that comes with a QWERTY keyboard as well as a key pad. And with the user friendly interactive menu interface, you'll be able to start operating all the wonderful features this unique cellphone encompasses straight out of the box.

This robust and versatile WiFi mobile phone comes with dual front & back cameras, a retractable antenna for FM radio & analog TV, a free 2GB Micro SD card and WiFi accessibility for going online. The Napoli dual SIM mobile phone also comes with MSN, Yahoo messenger and facebook apps, allowing you to chat with friends and accessing your facebook account. All this and more is possible with the Napoli - unlocked dual SIM mobile phone.

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At a Glance...

* WiFi
* Dual SIM
* Unlocked
* Quad Band
* Slide Phone
* MSM messenger
* FM Radio and TV
* QWERTY keyboard
* Opera Mini Web Browser
* Facebook & Yahoo messenger (Yamee v1.1)

NOTE: This product is compatible with the four global GSM frequencies: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz. This great phone can be used anywhere in the world.

Manufacturer Specifications

* Primary Function: WiFi unlocked quad band dual SIM multimedia cellphone with QWERTY keyboard
* GSM Compatibility (Quad Band): Frequencies 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz
* Chipset: MT6235
* OS: Nucleus RTOS
* Color: Black
* Screen:
- 2.3 Inch LCD Screen
- Resolution: 240 x 320 (QVGA)
- Colors: 260K
* Touch Screen: No
* SIM Card Slot: YES - 2
* SIM Card Modes: Dual SIM open, Only SIM1 Open, Only SIM2 Open, Flight Mode
* Memory:
- Internal: 21.9 MB
- External: 2GB Micro SD Card included (Maximum up to 8GB)
* Mobile Internet: WIFI, WAP, or GPRS
* Languages : English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Malaysian, Indonesian, Slovak, Dutch, Vietnamese, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Greek, Thai
* File Formats:
- Music: MP3, WAV, AMR, AWB
- Image: JPG
- Video: 3GP, MPEG-4, FLV
- eBook: TXT
* Playing Time (music) approx: 6-8 hours
* Playing Time (video) approx: 3-4 hours
* Standby Time approx: 48-72 hours (depending on use)
* Battery Charge Time approx: 3 hours
* Battery Type: Rechargeable Li-ion
* Main Menu Icons: Messages, Phone Book, Audio Player, Services, Organizer, Fun & Games, WiFi, User Profiles
* Menu Icons: Phone Book , Messages, Call Center, Settings, Multimedia, Facebook, Fun & Games, User Profiles, Organizer, Extra, Services, Bluetooth, Camera, Calendar, Sound Recorder, Video Recorder, Audio Player, WLAN
* Messaging Types: SMS Text Messaging, MMS Picture Messaging, Voice Mail Server, Broadcast Messages
* Motion Settings: Wallpaper Switch, Call, Audio Player, Messages, Images
* On Board Buttons/Slots: Power ON/OFF, 2.5mm earphone jack, Mini USB charging and transfer slot, TV Antenna, front and rear camera lens, Full KEY PAD with shortcut buttons, full QWERTY keyboard with numbers
* Wireless LAN: Enable/Disable, WLAN Status, Access Point Settings, Search Networks
* Network: Internet Service, Data Account, Cont. Management
* Data Account: GSM Data, GPRS, Wireless LAN
* Print Option: Via Bluetooth, PictBridge
* Digital Picture Camera:
- Dual Sensor: 1 (Front Lens), 2 (Back Lens)
- Photo Format: JPG
- Resolution: 640x480, 320x240, 160x120, 80x60
- Image Quality: High, Normal, Low
- Camera Settings: Flash, Shutter Sound, Contrast, Anti Flicker, Timer, Continuous Shot, Scene Modes, Color Effects, White Balance
- EV: -2 to +2
- Flash: Toggle ON/OFF
* Digital Video Camera:
- Self Capture Mode
- Video Record Format: MPEG, H.263
- Video Quality: Normal, Low, High, Fine
- Video Settings: Night Mode, Effects, White Balance, Anti Flicker,
- EV: -2 to +2
* Analog TV:
- Add to my channel
- Channel List
- My channel
- Channel search
- Search Area
- Display Settings
* Sound Recorder:
- New record
- Record Format: AMR, AWB, WAV
- Quality: Low, High
- Storage - Phone/Memory Card
* FM Radio:
- Frequency: 87.5MHz to 108MHz (worldwide)
- Background Play: ON / OFF
- Loudspeaker: ON / OFF
- Channel List, Manual Input, Preset Auto Search, Settings
- Record Function: YES
- Record Format: AMR, AWB, WAV
- Record Audio Quality: Low, High
* Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS
* Dimensions:
- Open: L:138 x W:57 x D:12 (mm)
- Closed: L:104 x W:57 x D:12 (mm)
* Manufacturer Ref: T753KLJ08GJL

Product Notes

* Intuitive menu navigation
* Handsfree wired earphones with MIC for hands free communication
* Fully unlocked phone! Use with any carrier, network, and SIM card(s)
* Loaded with multimedia features and comes with 2 GB TF/ Micro SD card
* Caller ringtone, caller video and caller picture for personalizing you phone book
* When receiving an incoming call, you can mute the call and reply with a text e.g. "I am busy now"
* Text Messaging Input Method Includes: Thai, Spanish, French, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic
* Pre-loaded personal digital assistant (PDA) software tools; Calendar, World Clock, To-Do List, Alarm Clock, Calculator, Unit and Currency Converter

Package Contents for Model - CVEM-M128

* Unlocked WiFi Quad Band Dual SIM Slide Mobile Phone with QWERTY keyboard
* Earphones
* Power Adapter (110-240V)
* USB Cable
* 2x Li-ion 950 mAh Rechargeable Battery
* User Manual - English

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

* Where can I access the file manager on the Napoli cellphone?
The file manager is located within the organizer or this mobile phone.

* How long should I charge the battery before first use?
Before you use the battery for the first time, please charge it for 12 hours.

* Great to hear that the phone comes with 2 batteries. What if I need more batteries, what should I do?
Simply contact our customer support department to order replacement accessories.

* Can I change the ringtone with this phone?
Definitely. The phone provides for many preset ringtones. You can also load your own MP3s to act as ringtones or use the phone's sound recorder to record your own voice or sounds as a ringtone.

* Does the Napoli unlocked dual SIM mobile phone come with an email setup function?
No, this unlocked Dual SIM mobile phone does not come with email ready feature. But, you will still be able to go online, and log into your email account.

PRICE + SHIPPING : USD$75.27

High quality digital video recording at a budget-friendly price. This Thrifty Digital Camcorder is the ideal amateur camera for catching those exciting YouTube moments or sharing pictures/videos with friends and family.

Entry-level favorite:
For those who prefer convenience and ease of use over "additional features" that may never be used. With more than enough to get you going, including 640x480 video recording, 4000x3000 resolution pictures, and even audio recording, this digital camcorder is the ideal everyday-use device for any situation. Heading to your kid's ballgame, going on a family outing, or know people that like to do crazy things? No matter your needs, this digital camcorder is a great choice!

Computer and user friendly:
With easy access button controls and an intelligent user interface, this Thrifty Digital Camcorder allows for quick and easy capturing of pictures and videos. Whether you are an amateur photographer or aiming to create the next YouTube hit video capturing events on the go has never been easier. Transferring and uploading files to your computer is just as easy - just install the drivers and connect the USB cable to the digital camcorder!

At a Glance...

* Entry-level Favorite Digital Camcorder
* Quality specs at a budget price
* Video recording, pictures, and audio recording
* Can be used as a webcam

Manufacturer Specifications

* Main Function: Entry Level Digital Camcorder
* Imaging Sensor: 1/2.5" CMOS
* Display Size: 2.4" TFT LCD
* Built-in Microphone: YES
* Built-in Speaker: YES
* Internal Memory: None
* External Memory: SD/MMC Card (Up to 8GB)
* Lens: F/ 3.1, f=6.5mm
* Shutter: Electronic
* Shutter Speed: 1/4 ~ 1/10000 sec
* Digital Zoom: 4x
* Focus: Fixed
* Resolution:
- Video Resolution: 640x480 (30 FPS), 320x240 (30 FPS)
- Photo Resolution: 4000x3000 (12.0 MP interpolated), 2592x1944 (5.0MP native), 2048x1536 (3.0MP), 1280x1024 (1.3MP), 640x480 (VGA)
* Formats:
- Video: AVI
- Still Image: JPG
- Audio: WAV
* Power supply: 4x AAA Batteries
* Battery Lifetime: ~4 hours with constant video recording
* Interface:
USB 2.0: SD Card Access / Webcam Mode
TV Out (PAL / NTSC)
* Systems: Windows 2000, XP, Vista (32 bit version only), Windows 7 (32 bit version only)
* Languages: English, Chinese (Trad/Simp)
* Dimensions: 94mm x 53mm x 34mm
* Manufacturer Ref: GN6T5YQS1NKL

Product Notes

* Best budget digital camcorder!
* This digital camcorder can do video recording with audio or audio only recording
* Video Camera can be used as a webcam via USB connection
* 270 Deg Rotating Screen

Package Contents for CVQF-DC25

* Entry-level Digital Camcorder
* Mini USB Cable
* 3.5mm AV Cable
* User Manual
* Software CD

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

* How do I set this digital camcorder up as a webcam?
Turn the camcorder on and make sure the "WEBCAM" is selected in the USB options.

* Can I use this as a normal digital camera?
Yes, this camcorder can give entry level DSLR cameras a run for their money.

* Can I use this with a tripod?
Yes, the unit has a built in screw-slot to attach to a standard tripod mount.