World Cup Shots

Salaheddine Bassir gets the better of Henning Berg during Morocco's draw with Norway

Nigeria to host U-20s
NIGERIA will host next year's under-20 world championship, FIFA confirmed last Sunday, ending any doubt about whether the political situation there after the death of Gen. Sani Abacha would prevent the event from going ahead. FIFA said the tournament dates had been fixed for 3 to 24 April.

Yugoslavs still on
WORLD football's ruling body FIFA rejected a call by German politicians to expel Yugoslavia from the World Cup because of the escalating violence in the mainly ethnic Albanian region of Kosovo. Benno Ziarer, an MP in the ruling Christian Democratic Party, said it was inappropriate for the Germans and Yugoslavia, who are in the same World Cup group, to meet "while (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic is envisaging a confrontation with NATO." He called for the Yugoslav team to be excluded "for the rest of the World Cup." The two countries are set to meet in Lens next Sunday. "It is FIFA's political line to follow that of the United Nations," FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said, although he admitted the body had received many letters protesting about the situation in Kosovo.

Maradona "depressed"
ARGENTINE soccer star Diego Armando Maradona announced last week that he will not fly to France, at least for the time being, because he was "depressed" by his court sentence for a 1994 shooting incident. Maradona was scheduled to act as a television commentator for the local news Mulitmediae America, covering the Argentine team's performance in the World Cup. "I feel very depressed and not inclined to take a decision on covering the World Cup as a TV commentator, at least for the time being," Maradona told the local radio station La Red. He did not elaborate on whether he would fly to France later. Maradona was convicted of assault with an air rifle in a shooting incident in 1994 involving four journalists.

Mexican defender Saurez vies for the ball with South Korean striker Noh

Saudis now secure
SECURITY has been doubled around the Saudi Arabian team after a $11,000 burglary of team rooms at a hotel in Lille. The thefts, including cash taken from rooms of three players at the Sofitel Metropole, were discovered when the team returned about one hour after Friday's 1-0 loss to Denmark in nearby Lens, in northern France. Bruno Travade, spokesman for the French World Cup organisers, said police were investigating the burglary, which involved a total of 10 rooms. He said cup officials had already acted to beef up safety measures for the team.

Most Valuable Object
THEY WILL pick a Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the end of the World Cup, but the tournament already has an MNO (Most Valuable Object). It is a special edition of Footix, the tournament's rooster mascot, and it's no ordinary souvenir. This little bird weighs 11 pounds (five kilos) and the soccer ball he is kicking is covered with 4.5 pounds (two kilos) of gold and 40 carats worth of high-quality diamonds. Designed by Paris jeweler Marc Princ as the showpiece of his "footbijoux" collection, this little trinket is offered at $370,000 and will be on display at a Paris hotel during the tournament.

Striking is trendy
IN FRANCE, it sometimes seems everyone is on strike. This time, small businessmen and artisans held protests in Lyon, blocking traffic around the city. They say the government has spent too much money on organising the World Cup, and not enough on local needs.

The human touch
THE WAR between kit-makers will not stop Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea from wearing his own favourite black jersey for sentimental reasons. In his side's opening World Cup match against Denmark on Friday, Al-Deayea stuck to his top, even though it was not made by his team's equipment suppliers. "Not only that but it also has a FIFA logo on it," soccer's governing body spokesman Keith Cooper said on Saturday. Al-Deayea was awarded the jersey when he was picked for a special FIFA match in Hong Kong a year ago as the British colony returned to Chinese control. "He was so proud of being selected that he has been wearing it for internationals ever since," Cooper said. "As long as it complies with FIFA regulations and if his delegation allows him to wear it, it's not a problem. In these times of over-commercialisation, it's nice to see that there is still place for a human touch."

Party spoilers
THE PARTY atmosphere at the World Cup was soured last week when 11 drunken English fans were arrested by police after breaking windows in a shopping street overnight. Police said they were questioning the fans who were hoping to be allowed to travel on to Marseilles to watch the match against Tunisia. Meanwhile, several dozen English World Cup fans clashed with a group of Marseilles youths overnight, injuring a police officer and prompting the arrests of four people, officials said. The clash broke out when the Marseillesais began harassing about 200 English soccer fans outside the Le Guai bar on the Canebiere, the city's main avenue.

Chilavert's promise
ECCENTRIC goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, who has put a run for the Paraguayan presidency on hold while he plays soccer, has breathed life into the World Cup group of death with his gift for self-promotion. Chilavert, who has said he would consider being president of his country should his legions of fans require it, has vowed to go where no goalkeeper has been before; into the World Cup scoring charts. Although Chilavert's political plans should be taken with a generous pinch of salt as he is never too serious, the extrovert Paraguay captain deserves to be taken at his word when he talks soccer.

CFO co-president dies
FERNAND Sastre, co-president (with Michel Platini) of the French World Cup organising committee (CFO) died in France last Saturday after a long illness. The 74-year-old Sastre had been suffering from lung cancer since the start of the year and was unable to work on the World Cup for several months. He was recently awarded FIFA's Order of Merit, but he was too ill to collect it in person at FIFA's congress two weeks ago. Outgoing FIFA President Joao Havelange had announced that he would go to Sastre's home to present it to him personally.

Norwegians break curfew
NORWEGIAN World Cup stars Henning Berg and Erik Mykland will not be sent home despite being in a nightclub until 4am Saturday morning. Defender Berg, who plays for Manchester United, and midfielder Mykland, who plays for Greek club Panathinaiakos, are two of the senior members of Norway's World Cup squad. The team was given Friday night off after their opening 2-2 Group A draw with Morocco. Norway coach Egil Olsen said that the team had held a meeting about the pair's late-night visit to the La Baule club, but added the matter was now closed.

Internet gambling
A Hong Kong government official warned last week against placing World Cup bets on the Internet following a crackdown on illegal gambling related to the France '98 tournament. Home Affairs Secretary David Lan admitted prosecuting people for on-line betting would be difficult without raiding their homes and computers. But he warned there was no guarantee gambling-mad Hong Kong punters, who bet via the Internet, would receive their winnings. Gambling is illegal in Hong Kong apart from government-authorised betting on horse racing and a widely popular lottery. The World Cup has, however, sparked a frenzy of unlicensed betting. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it had smashed a major international football gambling syndicate in Hong Kong and Singapore. Fifty people were arrested and Hong Kong first division player Chan Tsz-Kong was charged with conspiracy after allegedly taking a bribe to throw a first-round World Cup qualifier match against Thailand. The gambling syndicate behind the fixing was said to have taken millions of dollars in bets, which were then passed on to another syndicate in Singapore.