North Africa

Issa Hayatou is set to emerge as Sepp Blatter's rival in his bid to win his second term as FIFA president.

FIFA's internal ad hoc audit committee, set up to look into FIFA finances, must present its results no later than April 30 - less than a month before the FIFA presidential elections in Seoul.

Germany will host the Confederations Cup in 2005 as a dress rehearsal before staging the World Cup finals the following year, the German Football Association (DFB) said yesterday.

The International Olympic Committee has elected James L Easton as the new vice-president of its organisations.

Sepp Blatter launched his campaign to be re-elected as FIFA president with a promise to Africa that the continent would definitely stage the World Cup finals in 2010.

The Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO), a former partner of Italian carmaker Fiat , has bought a 5.31 percent stake in Italian football club Juventus, which is controlled by the Fiat-owning Agnelli family.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with brewing company Staryi Melnik ahead of next year's World Cup.

South Africa are one of four countries who have applied to host the African Nations Cup finals in 2006, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said.

The PFA seek a settlement with the UK Football Leagues to avoid strike action, the Third Football Market takes place in Moscow, the IOC Coordination Commission meet in Athens and the UIPM - Modern Pentathlon Union Congress gathers in Cairo.

Africa is considering a bid for the 2010 World Cup in which the tournament would be hosted by two countries, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said.

FIFA has confirmed that African countries, with the exception of South Africa, will be granted free access to the next year’s World Cup.

South Africa are to bid to stage soccer’s 2006 African Nations Cup finals.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned for a year all African club soccer at the national soccer stadium in Dar-es-Salaam after a stabbing incident in a match there in May.

The Extreme Sports Channel has extended its coverage beyond Europe after it signed a deal with pay-TV platform Showtime in the Middle East and Africa.

Turkey wants to build a Formula One circuit in Istanbul within three years, the head of the Turkish Automobile Federation said on Thursday.

Cameroon's Issa Hayatou is expected to remain president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Thursday's election at the congress in Accra.