South Africa are not afraid, says Parreira

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said the host nation was not afraid of any of the teams it drew in Group A of the 2010 World Cup.

"We are going to play the ball on the ground," Parreira said after the draw in Cape Town on Friday.

"We are going to prepare ourselves, we are not afraid. Mexico are a good side, France have got players in the Champions League and they are good side."

Hosts South Africa, who will play Mexico on June 11 in the tournament opener, were also drawn against two-time champions Uruguay.

Parreira, who guided his native Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, said his mission was to guide South Africa to the last 16.

South Africa are set to stage training camps in Brazil and Germany as part of their preparations for the finals.

If South Africa fail to make it past the first round, it will become the first host nation not
to reach the second round since the World Cup was first staged 79 years ago.

Parreira said the draw indicated that there was no easy group.

"It is the only World Cup we cannot say who is the Group of Death. There is no easy group. It is the best balanced World Cup in history. We are the only group that has two former world champions in France and Uruguay.

Parreira, who rejoined Bafana in November when his countryman Joel Santana quit after a disappointing 17-month reign, added: "This is the hand we have been dealt and what we will have to face.

"We have to prepare ourselves in a possible way to make sure we go past the first round.

"I do not look at the first game. If we get a good result against Mexico and lose against Uruguay and France it will not matter.

"We have to look at the group as a whole and not focus on the first game. "The bottom line is that we face three difficult games and face them in a positive way."

Mathew Booth, a towering defender with Bafana Bafana, never expected to be drawn against an easy side.

"It's a tough group, we never expected it to be easy. But I don't envy the Mexicans playing in front of 90,000 vuvuzelas (trumpets)."

Former South Africa captain Neil Tovey said they had been drawn in a tough group, but believed France were beatable.

Tovey was the skipper of the 1996 African Nations Cup-winning team and now coaches local Premiership side AmaZulu.

"It's a very, very tough group, but as the host nation we have to qualify for the next round," Tovey told AFP.

"The opening match will be great. France had a tough campaign in the qualifiers, but they have great players who can rise to the occasion."

Tovey said Mexico and Uruguay were also good sides.

"Mexico beat us last time at the Soccer Bowl, but now we will be playing at home."

Premier Soccer League championship-winning coach Gavin Hunt said South Africa will need a miracle to get through to the next round.

"It's a tough group for South Africa in general, we have to do the best we can to progress to the next round," he said.

"Bafana can do well against France, every game is going to be tough, though."

France qualified for the World Cup after beating Ireland in a controversial play-off with a Thierry Henry handball leading to the decisive goal.

The opening match will be played at ther 90,000-seat Soccer City in Johannesburg on June 11.