Bartlett flies off

Senegal players abandon strike threat after bonus deal

LENS, France (Reuters) -- Senegal internationals have called off threatened strike action after sealing a deal with their government over World Cup qualification bonuses, the players said on Monday.

The players had threatened to boycott the African Nations Cup in neighboring Mali later this month if the bonuses for reaching their first ever World Cup finals were not increased from 10 million CFA francs (US$13,730) to 40 millions CFA francs ($54,950) each.

But, after a meeting with Senegal soccer officials in Paris on Sunday, they agreed to 100,000 French francs ($14,000) for each player and an undisclosed amount to go to renewing football's infrastructure in the west African country.

"They promised us 100,000 French francs and we have got written guarantees from the government and from the (Senegal Football) Federation that the money will be used to create new soccer grounds and to renew stadiums there," RC Lens defender Ferdinand Coly told Reuters.

"Now, we are going to play in the African Nations Cup and in the World Cup [finals].

"We were ready to play for nothing but we wanted to know what this money will be used for."

Senegal will play defending champions France in the opening match of this year's World Cup finals in Seoul, South Korea, on May 31.

Bartlett flies off to African Nations Cup

LONDON -- South Africa captain Shaun Bartlett flew out to join his international team mates on Monday ahead of the African Nation's Cup finals in Mali, despite initially withdrawing from the squad.

Bartlett, who plays for English premier league side Charlton Athletic, wanted to stay with the London club in order to concentrate on winning back his place in the first team.

"I feel sorry for Shaun as he was put in a very difficult position," Charlton manager Alan Curbishley told Reuters.

"He wants to do well for us, and that's the reason he signed, but he also wants to play in the World Cup."

South African Football Association (SAFA) chief executive officer Danny Jordaan said South Africa had written to FIFA and would ask them to suspend Bartlett from playing for Charlton if he insisted on staying away from the Nations Cup tournament.

"We are going force to him to play for us," Jordaan told Reuters on Monday. "He has been selected, his club have already indicated they were willing to release him and there is really no other alternative for him but to play in Mali."

Bartlett is the country's record goal scorer with 24 goals in 57 international appearances and took over the captaincy of the team last year from injured Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe.

South Africa's foreign-based players were given a weekend deadline to join up with the rest of the squad, who are at a training camp in Mmabatho in the north-west of the country.

Italian-based striker Siyabonga Nomvete and goalkeeper Hans Vonk from Dutch club SC Heerenveen did not arrive over the weekend and the SAFA said they had also sought FIFA's intervention in their cases.

But Jordaan said he had no further details about the failure of the duo to arrive before the deadline, adding: "We hope to know more about the circumstances later."

Jordaan said there had been no agreement with European-based players to skip the Nations Cup and added that selection for the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea later this year would depend on their availability for the Nations Cup.

South Africa depart for Mali on January 16 and play their opening group B game against Burkina Faso in Segou four days later.

Algeria coach names squad for African Nations

ALGIERS -- Algeria national team coach Rabeh Madjer unveiled his squad for the African Nations Cup finals on Monday.

The finals will take place in Mali, starting on January 19.

Goalkeepers: Lounes Gaouaoui (JS Kabylie), Mohamed Samadi (USM Blida), Merouane Abdouni (USM El Harrach)

Defenders: Slimane Rahou, Brahim Zafour (both JS Kabylie), Mounir Zeghdoud (USM Algiers), Yacine Slatni (MC Algiers), Smail Diss (USM Blida), Moulay Hadou (MC Oran) and Mohamed Bradja (Troyes, France).

Midfielders: Lounes Bendahmane (JS Kabylie), Mahieddine Meftah, Billal Dziri (both USM Algiers), Nasreddine Kraouch (La Gantoise, Belgium), Omar Cherif Belbey (Montpellier, France), Yazid Mansouri (Le Havre, France).

Strikers: Nassim Boudjekdji (CR Belcourt), Kamel Kherkheche (USM Blida), Rafik Saifi (Troyes, France), Abdelhafid Tasfaout (Guingamps, France), Nassim Akrour (Istres, France), Farid Ghazi (Beniyas, United Arab Emirates).

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