Two teams stand in Bafana Bafana’s way in their bid to earn a berth in the last 16 in the World Cup. Those are Slovenia and Spain — and the latter poses the bigger problem as they beat the East Europeans 3-1 in their first game and look set to win the group.

The teenager rolling across the concourse at Tokyo station was the epitome of Japanese cool. A fuzzy busby of hair dyed ginger, straggly goatee, big trousers and, to complete the look, a designer combat jacket. On the sleeve of the jacket was buttoned — in the manner of the Stone Island label favoured by British football hooligans — the all-important logo. It read ”This Will Make You Sweat”, the mark of an apparently au courant designer label here. As a brand name, you feel, it may need some work if it is to penetrate the English market.

Mike Tyson has been bruised and battered for so long, in a career that has threatened to waste away, that he has looked a candidate to join the fallen idols of the ring in boxing’s Babylon. This weekend he has the last chance at a redemption that he arguably does not deserve when he meets Lennox Lewis for three versions of the world heavyweight title at the Pyramid in Memphis. The fight will generate more than -million and will therefore be the richest in the sport’s history.