FIFA World Cup Lead Up: Maradona Allows Wives, Girl Friends

According to Argentine team doctor Donato Villani, sex forms part of everyone's social life and in itself is not a problem. The good doctor spoke these words in defence of Maradona's decision to allow girl friends and wives to accompany the Argentine players to the World Cup.

However, the doctor clarified that it had to be with a stable partner, and that the players should avoid "additives" like champagne or Viagra.

Brazil President Lula Da Silva was critical of the lax atmosphere in the Argentine camp, noting that Maradona was allowing his players access to their wives and girl friends.Lula went on record as saying that he wanted to see the Argentines arrive staggering and exhausted to their games.

In news about England's team preparations ahead of the event in South Africa, Joe Cole expects to feature in England's opening match against the United States.

Cole, 28, recently came back in a friendly against Japan, from a knee injury that kept him out of the game for nearly two years.

The Chelsea midfielder is yet to get a regular place in the club side. Following his come back. Cole never considered his injury as career threatening, though he did not expect to recover in time for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Portugal's prospects have suffered a blow;Nani is out of the World Cup following a collar bone injury suffered in training in Lisbon.

Nani, 23, played brilliantly for Manchester United in the 2009/10 season, and was a likely star for Portugal in this year's World Cup. Benfica midfielder Ruben Amorim will replace Nani in the Portugal squad.

Ivory Coast are arguably the strongest African contingent at the forthcoming event in South Africa. But their performance could suffer in the absence of their star striker Didier Drogba.

Drogba is undergoing surgery at the Lindenhof hospital in Berne, and everyone is hopeful of his speedy recovery, after an injury resulting from a collision with Japan's Tanaka, in a match in Sion, Switzerland.

African Player of the Year, Drogba helped Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup Double with his 37 goals, last season.

Ivory Coast's showing in the world Cup is completely dependent on Drogba's recovery. Ivory Coast is in the 'group of death' with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. Ivory Coast is the strongest of the five African teams at the World Cup, and quite capable of causing an upset in group G.

In news relating to another African team's lead up to the Cup, Ghana right-back John Pantsil is optimistic of his team entering the World Cup semi-final. Pantsil who plays for Fulham in the EPL feels an Arican team could become the champion, this year.

Ghana had a brilliant run at the last edition, in 2006, where they beat the USA and Czech Republic, to enter the knock-out round, where they lost to Brazil.

The Black Stars are in Group D a tricky group that has Germany, Australia and Serbia. Ghana will take on Serbia, in their first game, on 13 June in Pretoria.

Maradona wants more protection for Messi and Tevez

Mad Maradona is calling on World Cup referees to not be so afraid of blowing the whistle on players. He is basically asking for more protection for flair players at the World Cup, including Lionel Messi.

Now, we are not former footballing superstars here, we're all quite good at five-a-side, but we think the referees in this World Cup are excellent. They are not blowing for players falling over easily and they seem to have remembered that football is a contact sport.

But Maradona is basically asking for more yellow and more red cards - is this something a manager should be asking for?

"If we are going to see a match when the star players are not going to be mistreated then I think the referees need to be a lot stricter, and if Korea's players do something to Messi or Carlos Tevez then they need to get out the yellow cards, and if it happens a second time, then that's it," said Maradona.

Messi is fantastic, as is Tevez and if they both play like they done for their club sides, they will win the World Cup by themselves - we wrote that a week ago, but I've seen both of them fall over too easily in the past and it is a horrible part of the game and now there is no advantage as the referees are not giving free kicks to players that fall over.

One of the best things about this World Cup so far is how the referees have refereed the games - keep it up and don't listen to Mad Maradona.