Fadiga will play despite charge

FIFA will not prevent Senegal’s midfielder Khalilou Fadiga from playing in tomorrow’s opening World Cup match against France despite the theft charge hanging over his head.

Fadiga, Senegal’s star midifelder, has admitted he stole a gold necklace worth €265 from a shop in the Korean city of Daegu.

Chemin Rim, a spokesman for the Korean organising committee, said however that Fadiga will face some sort of action afterwards.

Rim said: ‘‘He will have no problem in playing in the match here. After the match there will be some kind of action, but it’s not serious.’’

The incident involving the 27-year-old Auxerre midfielder revived memories of England captain Bobby Moore’s arrest in Colombia in 1970 on suspicion of stealing an emerald and a gold bracelet. Moore was later cleared.

Fadiga was actually born in Paris and was also eligible to play for Belgium before committing himself to his native Senegal.

He has scored twice in 26 internationals, and is his country’s dead-ball specialist. France’s Patrick Vieira rates him Senegal’s key play, saying: ‘‘I love his game.’’

Senegal find themselves in a similar situation to Cameroon in 1990 - an African side trying to pull off an upset against the reigning world champions in the opening game of the tournament.

Cameroon stunned Argentina with their shock win 12 years ago and St Etienne midfielder Alassane Ndour is gung-ho about Senegal’s chances against France now that they will be without thigh injury victim Zinedine Zidane.

Ndour has claimed France ‘‘can easily be beaten’’ without Zizou pulling the strings in midfield and Auxerre star Amdy Faye risked French wrath by cheekily suggesting that the holders, shorn of their playmaker, were ‘‘a team of fighters’’.

Senegal had some fighting of their own to do to make it through the final African qualifying round but topped a group containing Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, prompting their French coach Bruno Metsu to salute what he called ‘‘a fantastic, talented and disciplined group of players’’.

By far the most famous of them is speedy and skilful Lens striker El Hadji Diouf, African footballer of the year while Montpellier’s Aliou Cisse is the key man in defence. Midfielder Salif Diao is expected to join Liverpool after the World Cup.