Afternoon headlines: Essien out

The headlines:

If you had Ghana in your pool, um, you better re-draw or at least buy a backup ticket. Michael Essien is officially out of South Africa 2010. (That's two talismans fallen by the wayside in the last week, following on Michael Ballack with Germany.)

No surprises among Holland's final cuts, and don't they look like an appealing price? Then again, if you were on board for the noon chat, you already know that.

Brazil arrived today in Johannesburg. Not much for ceremony, this Dunga bunch.

Spain's Fernando Torres is back in training.