Morocco

The African Football Confederation (CAF) acknowledged for the first time that South Africa's 2006 World Cup bid could be damaged without the support of the entire continent.

Soccer legend Pele has confirmed his support for South Africa's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, saying he thought Brazil could be ready to stage the finals four years later.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has declared the 2010 World Cup finals will be staged in Africa, ending any lingering doubts about the location of the tournament.

Facts about the FIFA vote to decide who stages the 2006 World Cup finals, which will take place on Thursday in Zurich.

South Africa's World Cup bid chief said he was prepared to do a deal with rivals Brazil in order to secure South American backing in the vote to decide who hosts the 2006 tournament.

FIFA's technical inspection team has given South Africa's bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals an unequivocal thumbs-up on Tuesday after a five-day tour to check the country's readiness.

Germany's campaign to host the 2006 Soccer World Cup moved to Central Africa this week when German soccer legend and bid leader Franz Beckenbauer arrived in Cameroon to drum up support.

FIFA will lay down strict rules to countries bidding to host the 2006 World Cup finals to avoid the sort of scandal over bribery that has rocked the Olympic movement, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced.

Soccer legend Pele has confirmed his support for South Africa's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, saying he thought Brazil could be ready to stage the finals four years later.

South Africa has officially stepped into the race to host the 2010 World Cup finals.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela said on Tuesday that South Africa deserved to be the first African country to host the World Cup.

Organisers of England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup have shrugged off a report claiming South America had offered its backing to rival bidders South Africa.

South Africa wants the 2006 soccer World Cup, deserves it and is more than ready to make it work, the country's newspapers declared on Thursday as a crucial FIFA inspection got underway in Johannesburg.

Former World Cup hero, Sir Bobby Charlton, championing England's campaign to host the 2006 World Cup, has appealed to Africans to support England if two bids from their own continent are unsuccessful.

Plans to cut the number of African countries bidding for the 2006 World Cup from five to just one strong candidate have been delayed, officials said on Tuesday.

Soccer legend Pele has confirmed his support for South Africa's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, saying he thought Brazil could be ready to stage the finals four years later.

FIFA's choice of Africa to host the 2010 World Cup was right and overdue, a leading Moroccan Football Federation official said on Friday.

FIFA executive committee members will begin gathering in Zurich today for the meeting which will decide the host of the 2006 World Cup.