South Africa

South African soccer officials have landed in Australia to meet Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) members in a quest to challenge the award of the 2006 World Cup to Germany.

South Africa?s 2006 bid leader Danny Jordaan will ask FIFA to award his country the 2010 World Cup, following the controversial vote to give Germany the tournament in 2006.

A proposal to abolish the FIFA executive committee vice-presidency traditionally held by Britain will be discussed at next month's Congress.

Irvin Khoza, chairman of South Africa's World Cup 2006 Bid Committee, is to meet a top Belgian lawyer in Brussels over a possible legal challenge to the vote which handed the tournament to Germany.

Controversial FIFA executive committee member Charles Dempsey ? the man who abstained in the final round of voting for the host of the 2006 World Cup ? has quit as head of the Oceania Football Confederation today.

Retired Cameroonian soccer hero Roger Milla has said that Germany should pull out of staging the 2006 World Cup, leaving the way clear for South Africa.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has reacted bitterly to the failure of South Africa's bid to host the 2006 football World Cup, attributing it to a "globalisation of apartheid."

UK government sports minister Kate Hoey has blasted England?s failed attempt to host the 2006 World Cup, claiming it was a waste of money, and that it never stood a realistic chance of winning.

International matches have been banned from Harare's national stadium until further notice following the deaths of 13 fans during a World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and South Africa, FIFA said on Tuesday.

FIFA's executive committee will discuss an overhaul of the system for selecting hosts for future World Cups at its meeting next month..

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has come to the defence of under-fire executive committee member Charles Dempsey over his decision to abstain from the last round of voting in the 2006 World Cup decision.

FIFA has confirmed that the controversial vote that awarded Germany the 2006 World Cup ahead of South Africa was valid and would stand, despite increasing calls for a rerun.

The chairman of South Africa's World Cup bid committee has supported New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark's call for a rerun of a controversial vote which awarded the 2006 tournament to Germany.

The German Football Federation says it is considering taking legal moves against a magazine which sent out hoax letters offering to bribe FIFA officials the night before the all important vote in Zurich last week.

Zimbabwe soccer chiefs are to hold emergency talks on how a dozen soccer fans died in a stampede after police fired tear gas at a World Cup qualifier against South Africa.

A meeting of the southern hemisphere's top rugby officials has ended with a decision not to expand next year's Super 12 competition.