South Africa humble French, but not enough

South Africa heaped pain on scandal-hit France on Tuesday but the hosts' 2-1 win was not enough to save them from becoming the first hosts to go out of a World Cup at the opening stage.
While France go home and South Africa bow out of their own party, Uruguay and Mexico both marched into the second round after the former won 1-0 in the other Group A match.
That put Uruguay top of the group with seven points, while Mexico went through over South Africa on goal difference, and France came bottom with just one point.
South Africa's unwanted record as the first hosts to exit at the start was tempered by an uplifting final performance from Bafana Bafana (The Boys) that left their vuvuzela-blowing fans smiling in Bloemfontein's Free State stadium.
Buoyant from the off and playing with a fluency not seen in their other two games, South Africa scored twice in the first half before France got a consolation goal.
"I am proud of the boys. They made this country proud. They proved their good progression", South Africa's Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said.
FRENCH IMPLOSION

France, runners-up at the last World Cup and winners in 1998, it could hardly have been a worse tournament.
They will return to a savaging from the French public and media after not only coming bottom of a group they were favourites to win, but also creating an unseemly side-show with their protests at the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka.
President Nicolas Sarkozy even sent his sports minister Roselyne Bachelot to try and put order into the French camp, after players boycotted one training session in support of Anelka, who had refused to apologise for insulting his coach. Yet it was in vain.
"The match was a catastrophe. We're all in despair after all this. Now we'll go home and draw the conclusions", Bachelot said.
Revolt leader and captain Patrice Evra was left out of the side on Tuesday, and France looked shell-shocked even before Yoann Gourcuff was sent off after 25 minutes.
Their implosion has brought soul-searching at home, with some saying it reflected deep weaknesses of materialistic modern society. Team sponsors have begun running for the door.
Uruguay and Mexico, however, will be joyous at reaching the second stage and continuing a fantastic tournament so far for Latin America whose teams have shone from the off.
A clinical header by striker Luis Suarez after 43 minutes settled a tight game in favour of Uruguay, champions in 1930 and 1950, against the fluent-passing Mexicans. "The most important thing was to get the classification", said Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan. "It will be difficult going forward."