Africa

After taking bets for over two years on who will win the right to stage the World Cup 2006, UK betting firm William Hill have finally closed their book ? just days before the FIFA executive committee finally votes on who will stage the tournament.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said the 2006 Word Cup finals should go to Africa if one of the continent's two bidding countries can meet all the conditions required to stage the event.

South African Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour has said his country would "comfortably earn" the right to stage the 2006 World Cup finals.

Critics of South Africa's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup are making too much fuss over the country's crime statistics, campaign officials have said.

South African rugby boss Louis Luyt has announced he would defy a black-led demand for his head, setting the stage for another period of isolation for white South Africa's favourite sport.

Brazil has said it would bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, and immediately received the backing of the South American Football Confederation (CSF).

Xerox is to be an official sponsor of Rugby World Cup 1999 to be hosted by Welsh Rugby Union.

Ex-South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson has suggested the row which had threatend the West Indies tour could prompt the formation of an international body aimed at looking after players' interests.

South Africa?s path to staging soccer?s 2006 World Cup finals has got a little clearer after the country?s rugby bosses pledged their support to the bid by making its stadiums available.

The beleaguered organisers of the Rugby World Cup have criticised ITV's coverage of the event as a "disgrace" according to a report in the UK?s Guardian newspaper.

South African sports brand marketing company SAIL has notified the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange of discussions with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to form a commercial partnership in line with SAIL?s strategy of expanding into international sports brands.

The recent stadia disasters in Africa will not affect the continent's bid to host the 2010 World Cup finals, African soccer chief Issa Hayatou has said.

The best rugby players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa want to form a combined Southern Hemisphere team to play the British Lions during their tour of Australia this year.

Manchester United's Alex Ferguson has revealed his "roving ambassador" plans after retiring from the manager's job at the end of next season.

CricInfo.com has broken its page impressions record during its coverage of the India vs South Africa ICC Knockout tournament semi-final.

South Africa has called for several team sports to be axed from the Olympic games because they were unnecessary and put the event beyond the financial reach of most developing countries.

FIFA is to implement a new rotation system in awarding the rights to host its premier property, the World Cup.

South Africa?s 2006 bid leader Danny Jordaan will ask FIFA to award his country the 2010 World Cup, following the controversial vote to give Germany the tournament in 2006.