Football boosts Zimbabwe's appeal

Two years ago vervet monkeys were the main visitors crawling through Zimbabwe's royal ruins, Great Zimbabwe, but now tourists are returning in another sign of the nation's fledgling recovery.

Cars drawing trailers and motorbikes bearing foreign number plates queue up at the gates to Great Zimbabwe, the ancient site where Shona kings once held court.

Zimbabwe's unity government, created last year, has stabilized the nation after decades of autocratic rule by President Robert Mugabe led to political and economic turmoil which in turn hit tourism numbers.