Colombia's hotel robbed

Johannesburg - Thieves stole around $2 000 in cash from the hotel rooms of Colombia's squad in an embarrassment for organisers ahead of the showpiece tournament in South Africa, newspapers reported on Friday.

GALLERY: Bafana Bafana v Colombia

The theft occurred prior to the team's match against South Africa, which they lost 2-1 on Thursday.

"There was theft out of their rooms. They went out for about an hour to practice and the rooms were cleaned while they were out," police spokesperson Eugene Opperman said.

"When they came back they discovered there was some money missing."

South Africa's high crime rate, including an average 50 murders a day, has become a major headache ahead of the World Cup which opens on June 11.

Organisers have devoted 44 000 additional security personnel to police the event.

But cases like the Hyde Park theft may be difficult to avoid, Opperman said.

"It was an inside job. How do you police that? You cannot," he said in The Times.