North Africa

A six-man delegation from soccer's world governing body FIFA rounded off a five-day visit to Germany full of praise for the country's bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

Morocco's King Hassan has named former minister Driss Benhima as head of the National World Cup Committee (NWCC) to lobby for hosting the world soccer finals in Morocco in 2006.

FIFA announced last night that that the 2010 World Cup will be held in Africa for the first time.

German Football Federation (DFB) president Egidius Braun has been taken to hospital over the weekend, a DFB spokesman said.

Brazil has told Asian nations that its bid for the 2006 World Cup combined passion and organisation and it deserved to host the tournament.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given Brazil a timely boost in the race to host the 2006 World Cup.

A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official has said he expected the Games to be held in Africa in the next 10 years.

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.

Lisbon is expected to launch its second bid this year to host a major sports event.

Benin and Togo have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2004 African Nations' Cup hours before the final presentation by the candidate countries was to be made in Cairo.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair threw open his Downing Street doors to a delegation from world soccer's governing body FIFA yesterday, hoping to convince them to back England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

South Africa and Morocco submitted bids to the African Soccer Confederation (CAF) over the weekend to stage the 2006 World Cup, the confederation's chief executive said.

South Africa are delaying a bid to stage the 2010 World Cup until FIFA confirm the finals will be staged somewhere in 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.