International Roundup

FIFA suspends Azerbaijan from competing

GENEVA (AP) -- Azerbaijan was suspended from international soccer on Tuesday because of ongoing government interference with the national soccer association's business.

The FIFA Emergency Committee said it made its decision based on the "latest developments in Azerbaijani football, most notably the severe and unacceptable levels of external pressure in recent times."

FIFA said the suspension was effective immediately, which means Azerbaijan is no longer permitted to take part in international matches, friendly or competitive, until further notice, including Euro 2004 qualifying matches.

In addition, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) can no longer vote at any Congresses held by international soccer bodies.

In the agreement with FIFA signed in September, Azerbaijani government authorities had promised to allow AFFA to conduct its business on its own, unhindered.

But FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said the government was still interfering, shutting down AFFA's offices, taking away working materials and claiming it was investigating the association for tax fraud.

"Having made numerous appeals to bring the situation in the country back to normal, world football's governing body had no other choice than to suspend the association," FIFA said in a statement. "While this decision is certainly regrettable for Azerbaijani football, it was unavoidable due to the repeated violations of sport's fundamental ethical principles by organizations or bodies that have not honored the commitments they made when they signed an agreement in Zurich on 20 September 2002."

"It's been an ongoing dispute," Herren said. "It's become evident the government has indirectly been interfering with AFFA's business ... because they are not happy with the association. Whenever you want to change who is at the helm of an association, it needs to be done in a democratic way.

"The only way to deal with the situation and bring things back to normal is to suspend the association," he said.

FIFA reconfirmed its support for the Executive Committee elected by the AFFA and insisted that the nation's government honor its agreement.

In Baku, AFFA spokesman Lyatif Novruzov said the organization had not been notified of the decision and could not comment.

FIFA said the ban meant Azerbaijan would not be allowed to play any of its Euro 2004 qualifying matches, but it was up to UEFA to determine how it would resolve the issue.

Azerbaijan is in Group 9, along with Finland, Serbia-Montenegro, Italy and Wales.

"It's too soon to tell. We have to wait and see," a UEFA spokesman said. "We will confirm that UEFA will adhere to FIFA's decision.

"But we'll have to take a closer look at what it means for the group, for the matches ahead, and those already played involving Azerbaijan."

However, in an interview with Sky Television, UEFA spokesman Robert Faulker said the "most logical" step would be to annul all of Azerbaijan's results in Euro 2004 qualifying.

That would be a huge blow to group leader Wales, which has beaten Azerbaijan twice already, 2-0 away and 4-0 in Cardiff.

Azerbaijan is currently languishing at the bottom of the group standings with one point after five matches. Wales is first with 12 points from four matches.

If Azerbaijan thrown out, Wales would lose six points and a plus-six goal difference.

UEFA: Georgia must play behind closed doors

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- Georgia must play its next match behind closed doors after a knife was thrown onto the field and struck a player in its Euro 2004 qualifying home match against Ireland, European soccer's governing body ruled Tuesday.

UEFA decided to close the stadium to spectators for Georgia's Group 10 match against Russia on April 30, after crowd trouble during its 2-1 loss to Ireland late last month in Tbilisi.

Sunderland midfielder Kevin Kilbane was struck on the arm by an open penknife. One player was hit by a ballbearing, another by a plastic bottle, and a glass bottle smashed against the Ireland goal.

The Georgian Football Federation has until midnight on Friday to appeal against punishment, UEFA said.

Russia had expressed concerns about its qualifying match in Georgia. That match was originally due to take place last October but was abandoned because of a power failure.

The sanction could play against Ireland, however, possibly giving Russia an advantage.

Georgia sits at the bottom of the group, with a single point after three games, but Russia, which defeated Ireland 4-2, has six points and lies second to leader Switzerland.

Ireland is second-last on four points but has already played one match more than Russia.

In other disciplinary matters, UEFA's control and disciplinary body also handed suspensions to Valencia's David Albelda and Inter Milan's Emre Belozoglu after the pair were dismissed during last week's UEFA Champions League first-leg quarterfinal in Milan.

UEFA handed Albelda a two-match ban for particularly unsporting conduct, and Emre a one-match ban for particularly unsporting conduct in retaliation.

Albelda has until Friday to appeal against the decision. Emre has no right of appeal according to the disciplinary regulations as his was only a one-match ban, UEFA said.

Meanwhile, FC Porto coach Jose Mourinho was slapped with a one-match touchline ban and received a 2,000 Swiss franc (US$1,430) fine after he was sent off during his side's UEFA Cup first-leg semifinal against Lazio.

Mourinho was judged to have obstructed a Lazio player as he tried to take a throw-in, by pulling his shirt.

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Jamaica sets friendlies in Nigeria, South Africa

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- Jamaica's national soccer team will play friendly internationals against Nigeria and South Africa as part of its buildup to the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament in July, officials said Tuesday.

Jamaica is scheduled to play South Africa on April 30 in Cape Town, the Jamaica Football Federation said. They host Nigeria in Kingston on May 25. Both African teams qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Jamaica will also play English Premier League team Birmingham City in London on May 14 and Haiti in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 18.

Last month, the Jamaicans qualified for the Gold Cup, which will be held in the United States and Mexico City.

The Gold Cup kicks off July 12 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Teams competing are defending champion United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.

Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique and Honduras will meet in a playoff next month for the final spot in the tournament.

Official: St. Vincent needs better accounting

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (AP) -- St. Vincent's national soccer federation will continue to be barred from receiving FIFA funding until officials implement a better accounting system, a Caribbean soccer official said.

In a two-page letter to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, secretary-general Harold Taylor of the Caribbean Football Union also said officials here must account for missing money.

The St. Vincent's federation has said it cannot find any information accounting for Eastern Caribbean $511,000 (US$192,000) of EC$1.2 million (US$452,000) received under a previous administration in 1999 and 2000.

"We realize the seriousness of this but I am afraid there is not much we can do," the soccer federation's president Major St. Clair Leacock said on Monday. "We have made efforts to contact past executive members to assist us with going through some of the scanty information we found but they have not been much help."

Leacock also noted that the federation's president at the time of receiving the FIFA funds, Louis Daisley, and his treasurer and nephew, Shelly Daisley, no longer live in St. Vincent.

Taylor also said the federation must make urgent changes to its constitution, which he said was outdated.

Leacock said the temporary halting of funding has been devastating to the sport in St. Vincent.

"We have been forced to put all of our developmental plans on hold because we just do not have any money to carry them on," he said.

Taylor said FIFA has committed to giving its affiliates financial support of US$250,000 a year, but not to those who have a record of keeping poor records.

FIFA's financial assistance program was ratified in 1996 in Zurich and has been in operation since 1999.

Liechtenstein announce friendlies

VADUZ, Liechtenstein (Reuters) -- Liechtenstein will play international friendlies with Saudi Arabia and San Marino in the next 12 months, the country's Football Association said on Tuesday.

Coach Ralf Loose's side, who were recently beaten in Euro 2004 Group Seven qualifiers by Slovakia and England, will play the Arab state in Liechtenstein on April 30 in preparation for their next qualifier against Macedonia on June 7.

Liechtenstein will also play San Marino for the first time on August 20 ahead of their qualifier at home to Turkey on September 6.

The tiny principality, who are bottom of their group with just one point from four matches, have also scheduled another match against San Marino for April 28 next year.

England lead Group Seven with 10 points while second-placed Turkey are a point adrift.

Report: Panathinaikos interested in Bulut

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- League leader Panathinaikos Athens is considering signing Turkish midfielder Erol Bulut from crosstown Panionios, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Bulut, 28, joined Panionios in Jan. 2002 and his 18-month-contract expires in June.

"He's considered as one of the best cases in the Greek league ... his record this season is very high," the newspaper SporTime said.

Before coming to Athens, Bulut had played with Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt and two Turkish teams.

Panathinaikos would not confirm or deny the report.

Bulut has been one of the best first division performers this season, scoring three goals in the 25 games that he played with Panionios. He also had 61 shots from outside the penalty area.

After 26 rounds, Panionios is fourth in the 16-team standings with 49 points, 12 behind Panathinaikos.

Angola name squad for Zimbabwe clash

LUANDA (Reuters) -- Angola have called up four foreign-based players for their Cosafa Castle Cup match in Zimbabwe on Sunday, officials said.

Coach Ismael Kurtz has obtained the release of midfielder Andre from Academica Coimbra in Portugal and striker Bruno Mauro, who recently joined Belenenses.

Also called up are Johnson Makaba, based in Turkey, and fellow forward Akwa, who plays for Qatari champions Qatar SC.

The two countries meet for the first time since Angola's 1-0 win in Harare in 2001 which secured them the title in the annual southern African championship.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Goliath (Primeiro Agosto), Lama, Marito (both Petro Atletico) Defenders: Dedas, Delgado (both Primeiro Agosto), Jamba (AS Aviacao), Maninho (Progresso Sambizanga), Sergio, Yamba Asha (AS Aviacao) Midfielders: Andre (Academica Coimbra, Portugal), Filipe (Primeiro Agosto), Manuel (Petro Atletico), Miloy (InterClube), Simao (AS Aviacao), Stoppira (Primeiro Agosto), Taty (AS Aviacao) Strikers: Akwa (Qatar SC, Qatar), Bruno Mauro (Belenenses, Portugal), Flavio (Petro Atletico), Johnson Makaba (Malatayspor, Turkey), Love, Malamba (both AS Aviacao)

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.