Nigeria

The European Union rewarded Nigeria's has moved towards democracy by dropping diplomatic and sporting sanctions while keeping an arms embargo in place.

FIFA officials are expecting Nigeria on Monday to inspect facilities for next year's world youth cup, a spokesman for the Nigerian tournament organisers said on Sunday.

A FIFA health team inspecting Nigerian facilities for next year's World Youth Cup has cited inadequate emergency and laboratory facilities at match venues.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A team from world soccer governing body FIFA has begun inspecting hotels in eight Nigerian cities to decide if they are good enough to be used at the World Youth Cup in April, organisers have announced.

A FIFA delegation was reported to be satisfied with facilities in Lagos as it began a final inspection to decide if Nigeria should host the World Youth Cup.

Germany's Football Association still plan to visit Qatar next month following new FIFA guidelines aimed at avoiding any trace of scandal in the bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.

A FIFA team on a final inspection of Nigerian facilities for the World Youth Cup has criticised the stadiums at two venues.

South Africa is confident it will emerge as the sole African bidder to host the 2006 soccer World Cup, a move that would greatly boost its hopes of staging soccer's showcase, says bid chief Danny Jordaan.

Germany's bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2006 has received a boost after the Finance Ministry declared it would not tax the huge revenue the tournament would generate.

The United Nations investigator for children's rights has reported that professional soccer had joined the list of sectors shamed by child trafficking from underdeveloped countries.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a formal appeal to FIFA, and to the presidents of the five other soccer confederations, for the 2006 World Cup finals to be awarded to Africa.