Thieves stole about $US2,000 in cash from hotel rooms of the Colombia squad before their friendly against South Africa, in an embarrassment for organisers ahead of the World Cup, newspapers reported Friday.

Two employees of the five-star Hyde Park Southern Hotel in Johannesburg, who were already under investigation for unrelated offences, have been charged with the crime, The Times newspaper said.

The theft occurred prior to the team's World Cup warm-up 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 practise and the rooms were cleaned while they were out," police spokesman Eugene Opperman told the Sapa news agency.

"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.

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