When the pursuit of World Cup glory unfolds with an oriental backdrop on Friday morning, it might be appropriate to recall John Knox Bokwe’s A Plea for Africa and, as the song requests, give a thought to Africa ‘neath the rising sun.

”Let’s go and watch the soccer,” says Han, a Korean trainee Buddhist priest as he jumps down the steps of the temple and makes towards the dormitory block. The hour-long prayers session of chanting and songs has cut into the start of England’s game against South Korea, but what is half an hour of a friendly international compared with the possibility of enlightenment?

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago the only thing the world knew about Kim Clijsters was that she went out with another up and coming player, Lleyton Hewitt, and that some shrewd judges thought she might one day be rather good. Two weeks after starting the French Open as this unheralded teenager she was still giving her all, against Jennifer Capriati in one of the longest and most competitive women’s grand slam finals ever seen.