Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Tunisia target WC

Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia could qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this weekend.

Ivory Coast need one point at bottom-of-the-table Malawi Saturday in Group E to clinch a second successive appearance at the quadrennial international football showpiece.

But the other three potential qualifiers need help if they are to realise the ultimate dream of every footballer and feature at the first World Cup hosted by Africa.

Algeria, who last played at the finals 23 years ago, can clinch top spot in Group C by securing a better result at home to Rwanda Sunday than African Nations Cup holders Egypt away to Zambia Saturday.

Cameroon, revitalised since the recent arrival of French coach Paul le Guen, will take an unassailable lead in Group A if they defeat Togo at home Saturday and Morocco triumph at second-placed Gabon the same day.

Haunted Swiss see South Africa beckoning

Switzerland head into the final two World Cup qualifying matches with a three-point lead in Group two this weekend, anxious to wipe out memories of a disastrous Euro 2008 in front of their home crowd.

Since then they have gradually pulled into the reckoning for South Africa after a shaky start in arguably the weakest European qualifying group, thanks to one of Europe's most successful coaches, Ottmar Hitzfeld.

But they are also haunted by memories of a shock 2-1 home defeat last year to Saturday's opponents, lowly Luxembourg, that almost dashed their World Cup hopes.

Hitzfeld was trying to keep his side focused ahead of the away tie and a finale against Israel in Basel next Wednesday, following a rollercoaster ride since he took over the side 14 months ago.

"We haven't reached anything and must first take care of our homework," he insisted Friday.

The former Bundesliga-winning coach with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich has restored Swiss hopes since he took the helm shortly after they ended bottom of their group in the Euro 2008 finals.

Lippi unconcerned by Cannavaro's positive test

Italy coach Marcello Lippi played down Fabio Cannavaro's positive dope test for banned cortisone and insisted his captain was still part of his immediate plans.

On Thursday Italian media revealed that Juventus centre-back Cannavaro had failed a dope test but his club explained that it was due to an anti-allergy medication taken as a matter of urgency following a wasp sting.

His club had submitted documention to the Italian Football Federation to ask for a medical exemption but it was not complete and in the mean time, Cannavaro took a test which he failed.

Italian Olympic Committe anti-doping prosecutors are investigating but Lippi played down the whole incident ahead of Saturday's trip to Dublin to tackle Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland in a crucial World Cup qualifier, for which Cannavaro is banned.

Cannavaro is not currently with the Italy squad but was due to link up with them on Sunday as he will be available for Wednesday's match against Cyprus in Parma.

"I haven't spoken to Fabio but there was no need, this was all blown over in a couple of hours. Will he be with us here on Sunday? Of course he will," said Lippi.

France to honour slain fan at Faroes match

Raymond Domenech revealed on Friday that there will be a minute's silence in memory of Toulouse fan Brice Taton ahead of France's World Cup qualifying match with the Faroe Islands.

Taton died at the end of September after being attacked by thugs prior to Toulouse's Europa League match at Serbian side Partizan Belgrade.

"We'll do a minute's silence in his memory and in the memory of everyone who's been the victim of this kind of thing," said France coach Domenech, whose team face the Faroe Islands in Guingamp on Saturday.

"We find it unbelievably stupid that someone should die like that for a football match."

World football governing body FIFA have threatened to dock World Cup qualifying points from Serbia if their supporters are found to have engaged in further hooligan activity.

"Sometimes warnings are useless," Domenech said.

Roonaldo thanks Ronaldo

Wayne Rooney thanked Cristiano Ronaldo for ensuring he did not shoulder the blame for England's World Cup exit.

Rooney's red card in the quarter-final defeat to Portugal was overshadowed by Ronaldo's infamous wink, which was roundly condemned within the England camp considering the pair were Manchester United team-mates at the time.

Yet, looking back, the Red Devils forward actually believes it did him a favour because his own stamp on Ricardo Carvalho got overlooked, unlike the misdemeanours of David Beckham and Phil Neville that had been highlighted at previous tournaments.

"I didn't really get any stick," said Rooney.

"Ronaldo took a lot of it and I was pleased about that.

Rooney vs Ronaldo: Unforgiven!

Wayne Rooney regards Cristiano Ronaldo as the number one player on the planet but does not want to see him in South Africa.

Although the pair have long since kissed and made up, Ronaldo's infamous wink as Rooney saw red in Gelsenkirchen remains one of the abiding memories of Germany 2006.

Rooney insists he did not mean to stamp on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho. But the incident left England to complete the quarter-final with only 10 men, the effort to reach the final whistle counting for nothing as Sven-Goran Eriksson's men lost on penalties.

Three years on, a much less abrasive 23-year-old will take on the Ukraine on Saturday knowing England's place in South Africa is secure.

Cannavaro fails dope test, Juve say it's medication

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro failed a dope test after taking a medicine that contained the banned substance cortisone, it was revealed on Thursday.

The former World Player of the Year was allegedly stung by a wasp and took a medicine that contained cortisone on August 29.

He requested an exemption on the grounds that it was emergency medication but his request was missing a document and while awaiting a decision he was subjected to an anti-doping test, which returned a positive result.

His club Juventus claimed he took nothing more than an anti-allergy medicine and that it was necessary to prevent a potentially fatal outcome.

"In response to the news relating to an inquest opened by the anti-doping prosecutor into Fabio Cannavaro, Juventus's medical team underlines that it acted within sanitary prescriptions and moral rules to intervene in a case of emergency following the worsening of the clinical situation as a consequence of an insect sting," said a statement on Juventus's website.

Russia launches bid to host 2018 World Cup

Russia on Friday launched its bid for the right to host either the 2018 or the 2022 football World Cup.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who also presides the Russian Football Union (RFU), said that the bid was based on developing the football infrastructure in 14 candidate cities.

"If and when FIFA approve our bid we will choose 12 host cities where the new stadiums will be built," Mutko said.

"I believe Russia is capable of hosting the football World Cup at the best possible level."

The minister however refused to disclose the budget of the Russian plans of hosting the event saying that RFU should work out and present a convincing bid to the world's ruling football body FIFA ahead of calculating the expenses.

He said that Russia and FIFA should sign the bid agreement on December 11, 2009 at the latest, adding that the successful bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups would be announced in December 2010.

"We are bidding to host both events but the 2018 World Cup is our top priority," Mutko said.

"And I believe that the country, which is bidding to host the World Cup for the first time, should have a certain advantage over their rivals."

United cleared to sign Pogba, Le Havre protest

Manchester United have been given the green light to sign French teenager Paul Pogba after FIFA on Thursday ruled that the English champions had not induced him to break a contract with Le Havre.

But his former club have hit back by arguing that FIFA's ruling is only provisional and therefore not an end to the saga surrounding the 16-year-old midfielder.

United issued a statement declaring: "Manchester United is pleased to confirm that the Football Association has been authorised by FIFA to register Paul Pogba as a Manchester United player with immediate effect."

The French second division team responded by issuing a statement of their own.

"FIFA have not validated the transfer of Paul Pogba but have, as they systematically do in cases like this, issued a provisional international certificate," the club said.

Beckham set to return to AC Milan

LA Galaxy are close to agreeing a loan deal for England midfielder David Beckham to return to AC Milan in the January transfer window.

Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of AEG, which owns Galaxy, said they were aware that a move would help Beckham improve his chances of featuring in next summer's World Cup.

Leiweke said that the 34-year-old needs a year of solid football to boost his bid to reach the World Cup.

"We have a deep appreciation of what he is doing over here with his national team," Leiweke said at the Leaders In Football summit at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

"I wanted him to know that we will support him so we are going to lend him out."

Galaxy want Beckham's loan deal sorted out soon so he can concentrate on a title challenge with his club.

"We want to get it done, for him and for us, because we have work to do over the next few weeks and I don't want any confusion," Leiweke said.

Socceroos launch appeal for quake/tsunami victims

Australia's national football team, led by English Premier League star Tim Cahill, on Friday launched an appeal for the earthquake and tsunami victims of Samoa and Indonesia.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) said it will donate one dollar for every fan who attends the Socceroos' matches against the Netherlands in Sydney on Saturday and against Oman in Melbourne next week.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said the money raised will help rebuild or re-equip sporting facilities in Samoa and Indonesia.

Everton midfielder Cahill, whose mother is Samoan, said he hopes the fundraising will encourage more people to come to the matches.

"As an Australian with strong ties to Samoa, I am so proud that football and (team sponsor) Qantas are making this gesture to help young people in Samoa and Indonesia," Cahill said.

ESPN-Star secures EPL rights across 18 Asian nations

ESPN-Star Sports announced Wednesday that it has won exclusive rights to broadcast English Premier League matches in 18 markets across Asia until 2013.

The broadcaster, Asia's biggest sports content provider, said for the first time it would show all 380 matches each season live across multiple platforms including television, Internet and mobile.

It has the rights in India, Indonesia, East Timor, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, North and South Korea, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

In Malaysia and Brunei, it works in a partnership with Astro.

"We have worked with ESPN-Star Sports in a number of overseas territories for many years and we are very pleased to extend that partnership for seasons 2010/11 and 2012/13," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

Maradona talks of quitting as Argentina coach

Under-pressure Argentina coach Diego Maradona has announced that he might quit after must-win World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay.

"After the qualifiers, I will talk to (Argentine football federation chariman) Julio (Grondona)," Maradona told reporters Tuesday.

"I'll see if I carry on, and it will be on my conditions," he said.

"When Julio offered me this job, I was the happiest man in the world, but since there have been things that I have not liked," Maradona said, without further explanation.

Relations between Maradona and general manager Carlos Bilardo, his coach for the 1986 World Cup triumph in Mexico, have become increasingly fraught ahead of Saturday's match against lowly Peru, hence the hint he might walk away once the programme of matches is over.

UEFA concern at lack of hotels in Ukraine for Euro 2012

European football's governing body UEFA expressed their concern Wednesday at the shortage of hotel rooms in four Ukrainian cities due to host Euro 2012 matches.

UEFA delegation chief Martin Kallen said they were otherwise satisfied with progress being made by Ukraine in their preparations for the tournament they will co-host with Poland.

"At present we're happy with the progress made," Kallen said.

But he added: "Each town still has a lot of work to do. In each town we don't have enough hotel rooms."

The championship will be hosted in Kiev, Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv.

As well as the lack of hotels, Kallen said that the capital Kiev had to resolve problems of transport links between the airport and the city centre.

Grant returns to Portsmouth

Portsmouth on Wednesday announced the return of Avram Grant to his former job as the club's director of football.

The 54-year-old Israeli returns to Fratton Park having occupied the same role from 2006 to 2007 before succeeding Jose Mourinho as manager of Chelsea.

It is the first major change since Saudi Arabian businessman Ali Al Faraj completed his 90 percent buy-out of the club from Sulaiman Al Fahim on Monday.

Grant, who took Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, will work alongside manager Paul Hart as the club aim to climb off the bottom of the Premier League with just one win from eight games so far.

Grant has also worked as coach of the Israel national team.

He was one penalty kick away from leading Chelsea to Champions League glory as the Blues lost to Manchester United in Moscow and he was replaced soon afterwards by Luiz Felipe Scolari.