Johannesburg: Midfielder Sulley Muntari has been reprimanded but allowed to stay with Ghana’s World Cup team following an outburst after the game against Australia, the national football association said on Monday.

Ghana FA denied reports by a leading German sports magazine that Muntari was ordered out following an altercation with Ghana’s Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac in the team’s bus after the 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Tutu view

Cape Town: Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu is calling on South Africans to take a moment to congratulate themselves on being the first nation on the continent to host the World Cup — and then turn to building on the goodwill the tournament has generated. Tutu said: “How do we make the World Cup not an end, but a new beginning?”

Chinese touch

Beijing: Chinese media say up to 90 per cent of the vuvuzelas sold in South Africa during the World Cup are made in China, with local manufacturers readying for a new boost in demand. A Chinese toy factory in the eastern manufacturing hub of Yiwu has produced and shipped more than 1 million of the plastic trumpets.

Pirlo on way

Irene: Andrea Pirlo is back in training for struggling Italy, a day after the World Cup holder was held to a shocking 1-1 draw by lowly New Zealand. The return of the AC Milan midfielder was just about the only piece of good news for Italy Monday.

First live

Pyongyang: North Korean state television began airing live coverage of Monday’s World Cup match against Portugal in what is believed to be a first for a North Korean football game taking place abroad.

New strategy

Atteridgeville: In the land of the Springboks, the ball is oval shaped rather than round. Germany prepared for their decisive World Cup match against Ghana by practising rugby at training. Coach Joachim Loew’s players passed and ran with a rugby ball instead of kicking a football during the part of Monday’s training that is open to the media.

Agencies