Famous meltdowns of the World Cup
PEOPLE always say geniuses are the most flawed of all mortals and, after doing the research for this week's edition of Woza World Cup, I would say they are right.
While looking back at the moments of madness at the World Cup, I can't help but notice that most of the players featuring here are some of the best to have ever played the game, while there are also a couple of new-generation stars who might see red at the World Cup.
So here it is: players who have lost it at previous World Cups and some who might suffer a massive meltdown in South Africa in less than two months' time.
David Beckham (France, 1998)
England players always seem to have a meltdown at the World Cup, and their poster boy David Beckham, the most marketable player in the game's history, is no exception.
Besides his ability to bend a football almost 360 degrees, Beckham has always been a bit of a hot-head on the field. This is probably because he felt everybody was targeting him and thinking he was soft, with the highlights in his hair and his clean-cut look.
So when he was provoked by a typically bruising tackle by Argentinian hard man Diego Simeone at France '98, the Manchester United winger temporarily lost his cool. He kicked out at Simeone right in front of the referee, who sent Beckham off right away.
England fought gallantly to take the game to penalties, but we all know they shouldn't have bothered: they will never win a penalty shootout at a major tournament.
Zinedine Zidane (Germany, 2006)
The French great's moment of utter stupidity cost me a bottle of expensive wine, so if by some chance I stumble into him at the finals in Mzanzi, I'm sure going to try and get my money back.
Zidane had a strange tournament. He started off really slowly and looked like he was over the hill in the group stage, only to be absolutely sublime in the knockout round before having a nightmare moment in the final, the biggest match of all.
Before Zidane lost his mind, he and his French side were all over the Italians. He was bossing the midfield like the French general who everybody had become used to over the years.
The previous World Cup final he played in will be remembered for his devastating headers to beat Brazil. The 2006 final also became known for a devastating header, this time to the chest of that tattooed Italian villain Marco Materazzi.
The defender apparently said bad things about Zidane's sister and mother, to which the France No 10 reacted violently.
Just a word of advice to Materazzi: if you talk badly about someone's mother in Cape Town during the World Cup, you might just be shot ...
Diego Maradona (United States, 1994)
Diego Maradona had been almost unstoppable at the previous two World Cups, but by the time he arrived at USA '94, he was 33 years old and was not expected to make the same impact he had made four and eight years earlier.
However, the little master was on fire and was the catalyst in Argentina's clinical 4-0 demolition of Greece in their tournament opener. He was running around like a teenager and that was enough to make many people suspicious.
Given his history of cocaine addiction, Maradona was an obvious target for the doping police. But they found more than they had bargained for as he tested positive for the banned substance ephedrine.
Maradona was subsequently kicked out of the World Cup like a dog. He later claimed that his personal trainer had brought him the energy drink "Rip Fuel", which contained the banned substance.
Ronaldo (France, 1998)
The Brazilian headed into the World Cup final against France as the biggest player in world football, but his countrymen weren't on the same page as him.
Brazil limped into the showpiece event with a string of unconvincing performances, struggling to put inferior teams away. Ronaldo was largely responsible for the South Americans' run to the final with four goals in six starts.
But it seemed like the pressure of carrying the hopes and dreams of the football-mad nation on his shoulders got to Ronaldo, who suffered a severe panic attack just before kickoff. It was so bad that he had to be hospitalised.
Courageously he managed to get back on the field, but he was largely anonymous during the match, with the French outplaying the champions in all departments to win 3-0.
Ronaldo would, however, steer his team to World Cup glory four years later, but he would probably never forget that morning of the final in 1998 as long as he lives.
Andres Escobar (United States, 1994)
The murder of Andres Escobar on July 2, 1994, is believed to have been a direct result of his own goal against the United States at USA '94.
There was a lot of money riding on Columbia making the second round of the World Cup, and when Escobar stretched out to clear a dangerous cross into the area by the Americans, he stroked the ball into his own net. Columbia lost 2-1 and the drug and betting syndicates lost a lot of money.
Escobar, who was nicknamed "El Caballero del Futbol" ("The Gentleman of Football") was shot 12 times outside a bar in Medellin. His assailant reportedly shouted "GOAL!" with each shot he fired.
Despite the own goal, Escobar is still held in the highest regard by Colombian fans. Hopefully nobody will ever have to lose his life because of football again.
PLAYERS WHO MAY LOSE IT AT
THE 2010 FINALS
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
He has lost his mind in the Champions League three years in a row now, so he is a prime candidate to do something stupid on the field in South Africa in June and July.
The Ivorian is a bit of a loose cannon when things don't go his way on the field. He has been suspended a few times for stupid bookings in the past, while he also looked like he wanted to physically assault the referee after Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona last season.
There's no doubting that he is one of the finest strikers in the game, but his temper makes him a ticking timebomb on the field. Be very far away when he explodes.
Wayne Rooney (England)
The former brat of English football has matured greatly this year. Some people say it's because of the stability in his personal life after getting married to long-time love, Coleen.
But many English fans will remember his brain explosion in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against Portugal. The freckled striker kicked Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho in the groin area and was sent off by the referee.
England went on to lose the match on penalties, with the reliable Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard missing their kicks. Will England find them in the same situation this year if Rooney loses his mind again?
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Ronaldo also tends to throw all his toys out of his crib when things aren't going his way.
The Portuguese superstar has a very fragile ego; in fact, it's sort of made of chocolate. He reacts angrily every time he feels a challenge on him was a little bit too hard.
One day he is bound to lose it, and when he reacts, he is sure to be sent to the stands by referees being abused week in and week out by the new poster boy of world football.
Love him or hate him, everyone will agree that this boy has got some issues, and hopefully we'll see the best of him and not the worst - in South Africa in mid-year.
Nemanja Vidic (Serbia)
He is one of the world's best defenders, but also one of the most idiotic sometimes.
Lapses of concentration seem to be his biggest weakness, and that can lead to disaster for the Serbian side trying to surprise a few people at the World Cup.
Vidic is a very physical defender, but seems to struggle against really fast opponents. And once they get past him, he subtly tries to pull them back. He then gets straight red for being the last defender, and his teammates are playing the game with only 10 on the field.
John Terry (England)
Nobody knows the mental state this guy will be in going into the World Cup, after all the reports about his performances in alleged affairs off the field. He is also a very clumsy player when the chips are down and tends to do silly things.
He can also have a brain explosion if he can't keep it together. So men and women, watch out!