UNICEF's campaign features 15 players from around the globe, from England's David Beckham to France's Thierry Henry and Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba. The 15 have done their part for fair play, collecting just nine yellow cards between them.

The UNICEF Web site also tells stories of children whose lives have been changed by sports despite growing up among street violence in Angola, civil war in Ivory Coast, the slums of Colombia or a refugee camp in Chad.

"When you go out and visit people in these countries, whether it's in Africa or East Asia, so many children have so little about which to have hope," Veneman said. "And sometimes participating in a team sport or getting involved with some other kind of activity or even getting into school gives their life a turn and gives them hope that they might not have otherwise had."

People in the public eye who are role models to children have a special responsibility because of it, she added.

"Overall it's been a good World Cup so far. We can't let the isolated incidents undermine the importance of the whole."

Sexwale said parents have to step in when sporting idols misbehave.

"The children are there, they see something wrong. But we are there sitting with our children and we tell them and the children can see this is something wrong," Sexwale said.