International Roundup

CAF mulls reforms to Champions League, Cup qualifiers

CAIRO (Reuters) -- The expansion of the African Champions League and changes to the system used for World Cup qualifiers were among major reforms under discussion by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday.

"We have decided to look at the evolution of all of our tournaments," said CAF president Issa Hayatou as an ad-hoc committee met to discuss a major overhaul of the African Champions League, the African Cup Winners' Cup and the CAF Cup.

The meeting came after continuing complaints from clubs over the lack of sponsorship and marketing opportunities and the rising costs of competing without the chance of prize money.

Officials said the committee discussed an expansion of the African Champions League, starting in 2004, which would allow major countries to enter more than one team.

The Champions League is the only one of the three annual African club tournaments that has attracted sponsorship and has a television and marketing contract with French company Sport Five, which runs until 2008 and is worth US$40 million.

Also considered was merging the Cup Winners' Cup and the CAF Cup into a single competition, as has been done in Europe, since it would have a better chance of attracting sponsorship.

The recommendations are to be discussed further by CAF's executive committee, who meet in Cairo on Saturday, but any confirmation of changes is not expected until next year.

On Thursday, another ad-hoc committee will discuss Africa's qualifiers for the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006. There is growing opposition to a plan to use the 2006 African Nations Cup finals as the qualifying vehicle.

The decision to use the Nations Cup was made at the CAF Congress in Mali in January. The confederation felt the new coordinated international calendar did not allow for separate qualifiers for the two tournaments, as was previously the case.

The presidents of the five African countries at this year's World Cup finals -- Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia -- are among those on the committee.

Alternative proposals include playing the Nations Cup every four years instead of every two. However, CAF have previously rejected this idea because the tournament is a major revenue generator for African soccer.

Another idea was to play a full qualifying campaign with five group winners reaching the 2006 World Cup finals and the top three in each group going to the Nations Cup finals, which are to be played in Egypt the same year.

India banned from hosting international tournaments

The All-India Football Federation (AIFF), which was also fined $5,000, can appeal the decision taken by the AFC at its executive committee meeting on Wednesday.

The final of the IFA Shield in Calcutta between Brazil's Palmeiras and the local East Bengal side was abandoned 35 minutes into the match after fighting broke out between the players. Police also became involved in the fracas.

The Brazilian team declared themselves the winners and flew home the next day with a trophy bought from a local market.

Two days later the tournament committee members declared East Bengal the winners after disqualifying Palmeiras for starting the brawl.

"The AFC took a dim view of the fact that despite numerous reminders and time extensions the AIFF had not submitted its findings on the incident," a statement released by the AFC said.

FIFA signs agreement to fight doping

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) -- World soccer's governing body FIFA signed an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday to help fight doping in sport.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Richard Pound, president of WADA, met at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich to sign the "Memorandum of Understanding."

Both sides agreed to work together towards the harmonization of doping controls worldwide by 2004.

"It is FIFA's wish to join efforts with WADA and other sports organizations in our fight against doping," Blatter said in a statement. "Sport has to take care of this issue itself."

Broke Malawi lets go Danish soccer coach

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP)-- Malawi national soccer team coach Kim Splidsboel is set to return to his native Denmark after the government failed to find money to extend his contract.

Splidsboel's contract expires later this month. Sports Executive Secretary George Jana said the soccer federation would need some 39 million Malawi Kwacha ($US 460,000) to keep the coach for two more years.

Malawi is facing an acute financial crisis after the country's top international donors recently withheld over $US100 million, citing corruption and government mismanagement of funds.

Denmark was among those countries to cut off aid. Danish diplomats said millions of dollars their government provided in assistance to the impoverished southern African country was mismanaged.

When Splidsboel signed the contract two years ago, Denmark and Malawi agreed to share the payment of his salary, $US13,000 a month.

Denmark had been paying their half of his salary until now, but as of January, Malawi would be expected to pay alone. But Jana said the sum was far too much for the cash-strapped government.

"At the moment we are trying to make travel arrangements for his flight back home," Jana said. "We are sad that his contract could not be renewed. Everybody was interested to have [it] renewed."

John Zingale, the head of Malawi's soccer association, said the loss of Splidsboel would be a major blow for the team.

"We have found ourselves in a very sad situation," he said. "Kim [Splidsboel] has done quite a lot in the two years that he has been with us."

Soon after Splidsboel was hired in 2000, Malawi reached the southern African regional Cosafa Castle Cup finals for the first time. The team also beat out solid regional teams such as Angola, South Africa and Zambia.

Haiti out of Champions Cup Series in Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Haiti withdrew at the last minute from the Champions Cup Zone "B" qualifying series, leaving organizers to reschedule the games during the three-day event that starts Wednesday in Trinidad.

No official reason was given for Haiti's withdrawal, but the country recently has gone through weeks of political and social upheaval as opposition protesters demand the president step down or hold early elections.

CONCACAF organizers said Tuesday they had scheduled two games each on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights. Now instead of double headers between the four competing clubs, there will be one qualifier and one exhibition match between local teams.

With Haiti's FICA team off the schedule, Wednesday's main event is now Jamaica's Harbour View against Union Sportive Du Robert of Martinique.

The third team in the tournament is W/Connections from Trinidad and Tobago, now playing Friday night against Harbour View.

The tournament ends Sunday, with W/Connections and Union Sportive Du Robert meeting at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

The winner will join the Group "A" winner, Arnett Gardens of Jamaica, in advancing to the CONCACAF Champions Cup series in Central America in early 2003.

Takahara may sign for Hamburg

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- Japanese striker Naohiro Takahara completed two days of practice with Hamburger SV and the coach of the Bundesliga club indicated Wednesday Takahara may be given a contract.

"He could be the ideal partner for Bernardo Romeo," coach Kurt Jara said, referring to Hamburg's Argentine striker.

"In any case, he has what I expect form a striker," Jara said.

The Japanese striker squandered four opportunities in a scrimmage game, but set up one goal.

Takahara's contract with Jubilo Iwata expires at the end of January. He was the J-League's top scorer last season with 26 goals. Takahara had an unsuccessful stint with Argentina's Boca Juniors.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.