New Manager: England's FA is closing in on its choice as the next national manager, with former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill the bookmakers' favourite. The FA's board met yesterday with the question of who will succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson after the World Cup at the top of the agenda. An FA spokesman could not confirm media reports that the board were considering a shortlist of three or four candidates. With the FA's stated aim of having the new man decided before England embark for Germany on June 5, time is short.
2010 World Cup: South Africa's cabinet has dismissed concerns about the country's readiness to host the 2010 World Cup. The newly-elected mayor of Cape Town, the country's second largest city, caused a furore by criticising plans for a new stadium in the city for the soccer tournament. Helen Zille, of the opposition Democratic Alliance, questioned whether the city can afford its estimated one billion rand ($165.5 million) contribution to the stadium's construction while poor residents remain homeless.
Visa-FIFA deal: Visa is to sign a 150-200 million pounds sponsorship deal for the World Cup from 2007 as FIFA's new financial services partner. A source said a meeting between FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Visa chief executive Christopher Rodrigues would confirm the agreement in Zurich today. Visa is already an Olympic and Rugby World Cup sponsor and the former deal will run until London 2012.
In Jail: A Lokomotiv Plovdiv fan has been jailed for one year for attacking police before a league match against CSKA Sofia last month. It is the first time a fan has been jailed for soccer hooliganism in Bulgaria. Also yesterday, 15 Botev Plovdiv fans were fined and handed a two-year ban from grounds for their part in a fight with Beroe Stara Zagora supporters on March 11.
Kahn: Bayern Munich commercial manager Uli Hoeness has accused Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann of waging a campaign of "psychological terror" on Oliver Kahn that he says is to blame for the goalkeeper's recent blunders. Hoeness yesterday lambasted Klinsmann for his decision to wait until May before picking either Bayern's Kahn or rival Jens Lehmann of Arsenal to be Germany's number one goalkeeper for the World Cup. "Not making a decision on the starting goalkeeper after the last friendly against the United States (on March 22) was irresponsible," said Hoeness. "It's psychological terror, absolute psycho terror."