The 'Jabulani' official World Cup ball

Adidas has countered criticism that its World Cup ball is difficult to control and a nightmare for goalkeepers, saying it was widely tested and approved long ago.

Company spokesman Thomas van Schaik said on Monday that he was surprised to hear the criticisms, made by top goalkeepers such as Spain’s Iker Casillas and Brazil’s Julio Cesar, because the balls had been used for months without any complaints.

Van Schaik said that players heading for the World Cup had been practicing with the “Jabulani” ball since it was launched in December and all the feedback until now had been positive.

Asked why it behaved differently at altitude, where many of the games in South Africa will be played, Van Schaik said that applied to all balls.