Nigeria

Morocco's 2006 World Cup campaign boss said during a lobbying visit to Nigeria that Africa should make only a single bid to host the tournament.Morocco and South Africa are among five nations bidding to host the 2006 finals along with Brazil, England and Germany."FIFA may find it easier to reject Africa's bid if both Morocco and South Africa insist on presenting their bids, citing lack of unity," Driss Benhima, head of the Morocco 2006 bid committee, told reporters.Benhima said the Confederation of African Football had to evolve a fair method of choosing either Morocco or South Africa. CAF are due to discuss the issue at their next Congress in Accra, Ghana in February.

Germany has entered the race to stage the 2006 World Cup finals after they officially handed in their initial bid document to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Nigeria withdrew their bid to host the World Cup Finals in 2006 to help South Africa win the right to stage the tournament, Nigerian sports minister Emeka Omeruah.

About 100 Olympic family members who overstayed their visas and remained illegally in Australia following the Sydney Games have ignored Immigration Department warnings to get out, a spokesman has said.

Tickets for African Nations' Cup matches in Nigeria will sell for as little as 100 naira (one dollar) each to draw big crowds, organisers have said.

European soccer's governing body UEFA has said it would propose a joint meeting with world body FIFA in March to coordinate efforts to combat drugs.

South African soccer officials have reacted with delight to Nigeria's decision to withdraw their bid to host the World Cup finals in 2006 and instead support the South African bid.

African Games officials want to harmonise international sporting calendars to ensure their top athletes do not have to choose between lucrative overseas meetings and the continent's top event.

Said CSA president Jim Fleming: "We have requested this information from FIFA with a view towards submitting a bid for the 2003 World Youth Championship

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.

The Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, the venue for tonight's European Cup final, could soon be staging matches involving a Catlan "national" team.

Nigeria pledged on Thursday that the building of facilities will be completed in time to host the All-Africa Games in 2003.

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.

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.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it will not make a choice this weekend between the two African countries bidding to host the 2006 World Cup.

The Netherlands were named the team of the year by FIFA, soccer's ruling body, on Thursday.