Debutants and former champs reach finals

Fourteen more teams secured their places in the World Cup finals on Saturday, including former world champions Italy and England and four teams from Africa who have never qualified before.

In Africa, Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo all won their final qualifiers to secure first place in their groups and reach the finals for the first time.

They were joined from the continent by Tunisia who twice trailed Morocco at home before fighting back to draw 2-2 to win African zone Group Five and take their place in the finals for the third successive time.

Three-time world champions Italy qualified by securing first place in European Group Five with a 1-0 win over Slovenia in Palermo, while Portugal qualified by topping Group Three despite a hard-fought 2-1 win against Liechtenstein.

England, world champions in 1966, and Poland, both secured their places from Group Six because the Netherlands beat the Czech Republic 2-0 in Group One in Prague.

Croatia, who beat Sweden 1-0 at home also qualified, at worst, as one of the two best European runners-up.

Meanwhile in South America, Ecuador and Paraguay also sealed their places by ensuring they finished in the top four places in the group which guarantees them a place in Germany.

In San Jose, Paulo Wanchope became Costa Rica's all-time leading scorer and his 43rd international goal set his side on the way to a 3-0 win over the United States to clinch their place at next year's finals.

Costa Rica have 16 points from nine games in the final stage of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, which guarantees them a top-three finish and a place at their second successive tournament.

The first 10 countries to qualify were hosts Germany, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, the US, Mexico and Ukraine.

Prague aftermath

The Prague result allowed the Dutch to win their group, but also meant that at worst, either England or Poland, who meet to decide who wins Group Six in Manchester on Wednesday, will finish with one of the two best runners-up records in Europe - securing their automatic entry into the finals.

The eight group winners qualify automatically from Europe along with the two best runners-up. Either the Czechs, Romania or Sweden will take the other direct route open to the best runners-up.

The other six second-placed sides will enter the play-offs.

With only one round of qualifiers to play after the weekend's matches, 24 qualifiers are now known with the rest to be decided on Wednesday or in next month's play-offs.

Despite his later delight at hearing the news that England had qualified, it was a bittersweet day for England captain David Beckham.

He became the first player in England's 133-year international soccer history to be dismissed twice while playing for his country, red-carded in the second half of England's 1-0 win over Austria at his old home club ground of Old Trafford.

But by the end of the evening England were through to Germany by a combination of their 1-0 win over Austria, thanks to a first-half penalty from Frank Lampard, and the Dutch victory.

The Netherlands scored a stunning 2-0 win over the Czechs with two goals in seven first-half minutes from Rafael van der Vaart and Barry Opdam.

The Czechs had a goal disallowed and missed a penalty as the Dutch returned to the finals after missing out in 2002.

Italy, who last missed out in 1958, made sure of their place in the finals with a narrow 1-0 win over Slovenia although the winning goal from Cristian Zaccardo came just 12 minutes from time.

A point would have been enough for the Italians, however.

Among the issues still to be decided in Europe is who qualifies from Group Four after Switzerland drew 1-1 with France, while Ireland beat Cyprus 1-0 and Israel beat Faroe Islands 2-1.

Israel top the group on 18 points, but having completed their fixtures cannot win it as Switzerland, France and Ireland all have a match to play with Ireland hosting Switzerland on Wednesday and France at home to Cyprus.

24 teams advance to 2006 World Cup

Following the completion of Saturday's World Cup qualifiers in Europe, Africa, South America and the CONCACAF zone, 24 countries have now guaranteed slots at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Europe: Germany (hosts), Ukraine, Netherlands, England, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Croatia.

Africa: Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay.

Asia: Japan, Iran, South Korea, S. Arabia.

Concacaf: Mexico, USA, Costa Rica.

Note: 32 countries will be represented at next year's finals tournament.