FIFA World Cup 2010: Fabio Capello Adds His Name To Critics of the Jabulani Ball

England coach Fabio Capello has said this year's World Cup ball is the worst he has ever seen.

The new 'Jabulani' ball being used at the World Cup in South Africa, has been widely criticised, mainly because of its irregular flight.

"For the players it is terrible. It is also terrible for the keepers because it is impossible to anticipate the trajectory." - said Capello.

The world football governing body, FIFA, have defended the ball, saying it was fully "tested."

The Jabulani gets it's name from the Zulu words "to celebrate."

The ball has be available since February, and was used at this year's Africa Cup of Nations. It was also used in a number of domestic leagues, including Germany, Argentina, and the United States.

The ball was tested in England, at Loughborough University, but it was not used in any English football league because of a contract with rival sports manufacturer Nike.

Adidas have said that the reason for the movement of the ball is altitude. They have also blamed the teams for not practising enough with the ball before the tournament.  

Capello added, "The big problem is that sometimes this ball is impossible to control."

"It is good when you play short passes, but when you try to switch the ball with long passes, it is very difficult to understand the trajectory."

Some people blamed the ball for Robert Green's mistake against the USA. He let the ball slide through his fingers for the equaliser.

However, Green refused to blame the ball for his mistake, but admitted that it had moved unexpectedly after Dempsey hit his shot.

Wayne Rooney, who is hoping to score his first goal in the World Cup finals, has also denied the ball is a problem.

Former England manager and now Ivory Coast boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has joined the bandwagon of criticism, and has said that goalkeepers should be consulted when new footballs are being designed, especially for international tournaments.

"It's too late to do something about it in this World Cup," said Sven.

"It's a decision for the authorities for the next big tournament. It should be discussed, and everyone should listen to the top goalkeepers in the world."

The Jabulani was criticized by goalkeepers before the tournament began, including England's David James, Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, and Spain's Iker Casillas.

"The ball is dreadful. It's horrible, but it's horrible for everyone," stated James. He said some goalkeepers would end up "looking daft" when the ball curls round their hands.

The movement of the ball may or may not mean more goals will be scored. The ball could move and catch the keeper off balance, or the ball can be heading for the goal but then deviate off course.