Heartbroken South Africans heading home (Allsport).

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No words of comfort can provide the solace South Africa need in their moment of need.

For so long in their final group clash against Spain, the South Africans looked like they would hang on to second place and a last 16 meeting with Germany.

But they were mugged by the brilliance of Raul, and the incredible comeback from Paraguay against Slovenia.

In the end, the combination finally knocked the stuffing out of them and left a massive sporting nation back home in tears.

The match attracted a bigger audience in South Africa than Nelson Mandella's release from prison, but their was to be no fairytale for the South Africans this time.

Predictably for such World Cup novices, the Africans attack outshone their defence and particularly poor keeper Arendse, who will have nightmares over his role in their downfall.

His fourth minute mistake that presented Raul with a gift was the worst possible opening for his country, and he was to blame again for poor positioning of his wall that allowed Mendieta to bend a free-kick around it to score Spain's second.

That South Africa fought back twice to restore parity earned them great credit and it took a world class piece of forward play from Raul to finally put the skids under them.

But when the grief is past, South Africa will take encouragement from their World Cup 2002 adventure.

They may not be as advanced as other African football nations, but they have only been back on the world stage for ten years after their Apartheid ban.

In that time they have reached the World Cup finals and to a generation of sport-mad youngsters, that will be of massive inspiration for them to emulate in the future.