African football chief Issa Hayatou insists the continent’s football decision-makers are yet to decide whether they will be challenging Sepp Blatter’s 12-year reign as FIFA president at the next elections.

WITH FIFA already under fire from Irish players, management and the FAI for their apparent U-turn on the World Cup play-off seedings, critics will hardly be placated by the latest indication that the game’s ‘marquee names’ are urgently required by the for next year’s finals in South Africa.

Next year’s World Cup Finals in South Africa will begin with a spectacular celebration concert.

FIFA PRESIDENT Sepp Blatter is still trying to find a way of curbing the Premier League’s spending power.

WORLD CUP organisers will look to tap into David Beckham’s “brand” before the 2010 tournament and have promised to honour him in South Africa if he equals the record for the most England caps.

FIFA is confident that the current global economic crisis will have a minimal impact on the organisation as well as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

ENGLAND need to improve their image around the world if they are to have any hope of winning the right to stage the2018 World Cup.

An Austrian tourist was shot to death at a golf course near Durban, South African police said, as football officials gathered in the coastal city for today's World Cup draw.

FIFA will hand out 120,000 free tickets to South Africans for the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists nothing will prevent the 2010 World Cup from being staged in South Africa after he completed a two-day visit to the host nation.

South African World Cup chiefs insist preparations for the 2010 finals are on course and that there will be no need for England to step in as contingency hosts.

SVEN-GORAN Eriksson is being targeted by South Africa to coach the side when they host the 2010 World Cup.

Sven-Goran Eriksson is being targeted by South Africa to coach the side when they host the 2010 World Cup.

South Africa’s Football World Cup bidding team arrived home early yesterday morning to a heroes’ welcome, cheered on by thousands of fans lining the township streets around Johannesburg.

There were scenes of wild jubilation as South Africa today clinched the contest to stage the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA’s ruling elite were today preparing to take an historic decision and award the 2010 World Cup to an African country for the first time.

South Africa tonight emerged as slight favourites to win the race to stage the 2010 World Cup but face a nerve-racking contest against challengers Morocco in tomorrow’s vote.

Nelson Mandela today threw his full weight behind South Africa’s bid to stage the 2010 World Cup, insisting the tournament would finally bury the memories of the international isolation of the apartheid years.

THE English and South African football associations yesterday launched an investigation into the origin of claims that they had struck a secret £3m deal to ensure David Beckham’s participation in last week’s friendly.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S Quinton Fortune will play a part after all in tonight’s friendly between South Africa and England.

Sporting his new African-style hairdo, David Beckham was greeted by a group of Zulu dancers on the tarmac at Durban International Airport today.

The Football Association have expressed condolences to their South African counterparts and offered help in the aftermath of the Ellis Park disaster.

Leeds skipper Lucas Radebe will return to South Africa tonight for talks with his country's football association - the outcome of which will ultimately send shockwaves through his homeland.