Australia: Australia came from behind to defeat Bahrain 3-1 in Manama yesterday in their first Asian Cup qualifier since resigning from the Oceania Football Confederation. Archie Thompson, skipper Josep Skoko and striker Ahmad Elrich scored for the Socceroos, who had trailed to Husain Ali's 35th-minute goal in their Group D tie. Australia, admitted to the Asian Football Confederation on Jan. 1, were without key players such as Liverpool's Harry Kewell and Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka but won comfortably in the end.
Menotti: Veteran Argentine coach Cesar Luis Menotti has turned down the offer to take charge of struggling Veracruz, a director of the Mexican club said. Menotti, the chain-smoking coach who steered Argentina to victory in the 1978 World Cup, had provisionally accepted the club's offer last week.
DI STEFANO: Real Madrid are to name their new reserve team stadium after honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano. The stadium, being built as part of the club's new training complex in the Madrid suburb of Valdebebas and soon to be inaugurated, will be home to reserve team Castilla who play in the Spanish second division. Di Stefano, 79, spent three weeks in hospital at the start of the year after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery following a severe heart attack on December 24.
Togo: Togo have named German Otto Pfister as the World Cup finalists' coach, replacing Stephen Keshi following the team's poor performance at the African Nations Cup. Pfister, 67, has been coach of the former Zaire and Ghana and has also worked with clubs in Egypt and Tunisia.
Woodgate: Real Madrid say the injury to Jonathan Woodgate is not as serious as first feared and the England defender has strained rather than torn a muscle in his left thigh. "It is good news," Real's chief of medical staff Alfonso del Corral was quoted as saying. Real said it was not known how long the 26-year-old centre-back would be out of action. Woodgate sustained the injury in the opening exchanges of Tuesday's 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Bernabeu in the Champions League and he was forced to leave the pitch after just nine minutes.
Goalline technology: World soccer's law-making body will study camera-based goalline technology submitted by the Italian federation at their annual general meeting on March 4. The technology, aimed at showing whether the ball has crossed the line, "uses high-performance digital cameras rather than a chip-implanted ball or any fixed installation on the playing field or in the goal posts", FIFA said. FIFA experimented with goalline technology at the under-17 world championship in Peru and Club World Championship in Japan last year using a "smartball".
Dumitrescu: Former Romanian international Ilie Dumitrescu has been appointed head coach of PAOK Salonika, the Greek side said yesterday. Dumitrescu, who quit as coach at first division rivals Kallithea just a few hours before his appointment, has signed an 18-month contract and replaces Georgios Kostikos who resigned on Monday. The 37-year-old's departure caused considerable anger at Kallithea who are struggling to avoid relegation.
In England: Premier League - Newcastle vs Charlton 0-0.