Ahead of the kick-off of the 2010 World Cup on Friday, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has launched the Alternative Guide to the World Cup.

Set out in the form of a ‘grudge-match’ report, the publication compares the ‘vital statistics’ of each African country in the games against their competitors in terms of development – examining key indicators such as economic growth, CO2 emissions, access to education and human development.

The report was launched by Mr Annan, who is Chair of the Africa Progress Panel, and United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador and football star Didier Drogba. The guide highlights that although African nations have a fair playing field when it comes to football; this is not the case when it comes to compete internationally on issues such as trade or the fight against climate change.

You can download the full report here (PDF 11mb)