North Africa

Sudan's Hay al-Arab have been fined and banned after withdrawing from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup following an 8-0 mauling in the first leg of their second round game against Egypt's Ismailia.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to receive any formal bids for the hosting of the 2004 African Nations' Cup a little more than a month before the deadline closes.

China has launched Beijing's bid for the 2008 Summer Games under the slogan "New Beijing, Great Olympics."

The 10 cities hoping to host the 2008 Summer Games left International Olympic Committee headquarters this week confident they would all clear the first hurdle in the bidding process.

The IOC has confirmed that ten cities have submitted preliminary bids for the 2008 Summer Games.

Libya is supporting Morocco in its efforts to stage the 2006 World Cup finals, according to reports from a local news agency.

The Salt Lake City bid scandal has claimed a second International Olympic Committee (IOC) victim when Bashir Mohamed Attarabulsi of Libya resigned as a member today.

Sydney and Salt Lake City Olympic officials have sought to reassure potential sponsors and spectators that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was dealing effectively with the biggest scandal in its 104-year history.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has awarded full broadcast rights for radio and television to the home World Cup qualifiers involving Angola, Cameroon and Libya to Indicom Sports and Events management through Winners World Wide Sports International Zambia Limited.

Former Germany striker Rudi Voeller has been appointed ambassador of the German bid to host soccer's 2006 World Cup.

Nigeria's sports ministry has set up a committee to mobilise "financial and moral support" for its national soccer team in a bid to win the 2000 African Cup of Nations.

Morocco has started work on a $100 million stadium to boost its bid to host the soccer World Cup finals in 2006, a government official has said.

The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair and film star Hugh Grant will lead attempts to impress international soccer chiefs who will inspect England's World Cup 2006 facilities this week.

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.

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.

Movie star Hugh Grant and former England star Gary Lineker were among the star names at a special send-off to the FIFA team inspecting England's chances of hosting the 2006 World Cup.