Johannesburg  - Tickets for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa go on sale Friday 475 days before kick-off in the opening game on June 11 next year.

The tickets are being sold on the website of world football body FIFA and through South Africa's First National Bank (FNB), a sponsor of the tournament.

Football fans in South Africa can being applying for tickets at FNB branches nationwide at the start of business. Overseas fans can log onto www. fifa. com and begin buying a ticket from 11 am GMT.

Sydney  - New Zealand's race relations watchdog has written to the South African Rugby Union (SARU) in support of a proposed game between a side made up exclusively of Maori players and the Springboks, news reports said Friday.

The June game is in doubt because of South African objections to the "racial" selection of the New Zealand side because it is restricted to ethnic Maori, the Rugby Heaven website reported.

Johannesburg, Feb. 19 : Having waited for four years to be eligible to play for South Africa, Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir is likely to make his debut for the national side sooner than later.

Lahorite Tahir is close to acquiring South African citizenship and is married to a South African woman.

He''s a prodigious turner of the ball, and national team coach Micky Arthur, admits that wrist spin is the one missing link in his otherwise powerful unit.

So, there is a possibility of rushing Tahir into the international arena during Australia''s tour of the Rainbow Nation.

Potshefstroom (South Africa), Feb. 19 : Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen has rebutted suggestions that his boys are timid and are no longer "cocksure" about their abilities as champion players.

Nielsen, who was hit with a barrage of questions at the team''s training session in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, including whether he thought his team were now "timid", was quoted by the Herald Sun as saying: "I''m certainly not saying it''s timid."

Potchefstroom (South Africa), Feb. 19 : Injured Australian cricket vice-captain Michael Clarke is in doubt for the opening tour match against South Africa Board President''s XI beginning on Friday, but is likely to play in the Johannesburg Test.

Clarke, who is suffering from a back injury, was restricted to walking laps with team physio Alex Kountouris while the main group completed warm-up fielding drills at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, Fox Sports reports.

The team then retreated to the nets for their opening training session for this week''s three-day game ahead of the first Test in Johannesburg from February 26.

Potchestroom (South Africa), Feb. 19 : Australia leg-spinner Bryce McGain appears to have escaped any major punishment for missing a team flight, although coach Tim Nielsen shed little light on the situation.

McGain''s disciplinary lapse has been dealt with "internally" and Nielsen has declared the case closed, without revealing if any penalty was handed out.

The uncapped McGain, 36, missed the Australian cricket team''s flight to Johannesburg for the Test tour of South Africa on Monday, reports Fox Sports.