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.
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).
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.
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.
