Three Greek players had money stolen from their hotel and Chinese journalists were robbed on Thursday, following Wednesday's incident when armed men robbed Spanish and Portuguese journalists at a lodge northwest of Johannesburg.
The incidents were comparatively minor but coming so early were bad news for World Cup organisers who have spent years assuring fans and journalists alike that 41,000 specially deployed police will keep the tournament safe.
Meanwhile, two Britons were killed when a bus overturned in the northeast of country. Although the tourists in the bus did not appear to be World Cup fans, it was a reminder of another problem that has caused concern, South Africa's notoriously dangerous roads and transport problems.
None of this was likely to dent South Africans' frenzied excitement as they revelled in the realisation that the World Cup many had said they could not organise was about to take off.
"Vuvuzela" trumpets blasted and football chants rang out from fans wearing their national colours. South African joy was boosted by news that the father of the post-apartheid nation, Nelson Mandela, was likely to attend Friday's opening ceremony.
Mandela, 91, and in frail health, is widely credited with helping South Africa win the World Cup bid in 2004 and if he does attend the opening match he will inspire the nation as he did when South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
A year ago South Africans were accused by FIFA of being too apathetic about the tournament and widely slated their underachieving national side "Bafana Bafana" (The Boys).
REVIVED BAFANA
Now after an unbeaten run of 12 matches the rejuvenated team are national heroes and pin-ups and go into the opening match against Mexico in Johannesburg's cavernous Soccer City stadium, Africa's largest, brimming with confidence.
They could yet be one of Africa's dark horses in this tournament. President Jacob Zuma urged them, perhaps over-ambitiously, to bring him the trophy.
But even if they fall short, as one of the lowest-ever rated host teams, South Africa expects the World Cup to bring a legacy of tourism, investment, development and greater racial harmony in an oft-troubled nation, 16 years after apartheid ended.
In hotels and training grounds across the wide and beautiful nation, players and coaches of the 32 competing nations had their eyes set on lifting the globe's most coveted sporting prize on July 11, although an extraordinary series of injuries has reduced the odds on some.
The majority of 90,000 people in Soccer City on Friday will be backing Bafana Bafana with what other teams consider a potent secret weapon, the cacophony of vuvuzelas that can deafen and intimidate the opposition.
Mexican fans laughing and singing under a statue of Nelson Mandela in sunny Johannesburg on Thursday said they had no qualms about spoiling the local party. Other pockets of fans chanted in multiple languages in the ritzy Sandton district.
Uruguay face France in the second match of the 64-game tournamen
