Spain in tough group

SPAIN are faced with a difficult task after the FIFA World Cup Final Draw in Leipzig grouped them with Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

IN 1978, Tunisia became the first African country to win a match at the finals of the FIFA World Cup when they beat Mexico 3-1 in their very first group match.

IT WOULD be fair to say that Spain’s qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was not their most spectacular.

MADRID: Spain have asked football's world governing body for permission to replace injured full-back Asier del Horno in their World Cup squad, FIFA confirmed.

Arabs make run for title

Museum honours Jewish footballers

MADRID: Raul Gonzalez may be destined to spend more of the World Cup on the bench than on the field.

..."Be flexible for first match..."

LONDON: Police have warned a growing number of motorists to avoid scaring horses or jabbing pedestrians when flying England flags from their vehicles in preparation for the football World Cup.

DUBAI: Saudi officials have been upbeat about the team's preparations ahead of the World Cup, insisting that several warmup matches and training camps were beneficial.

LONDON: For all those women who hate football and are dreading the prospect of a month of World Cup mania, a hotel in northwest England may have the perfect offer — a football free mini-break.

ZURICH: Football fans will have access to free video highlights from all World Cup matches on FIFA's website.

JOHANNESBURG: Like millions of boys, striker Francileudo dos Santos grew up dreaming of one day playing at the World Cup finals.

JOHANNESBURG: Tunisian midfielder Kaies Ghodhbane has been a national team regular for more than a decade and a winner of almost every honour in the African game.

KIEV: Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin instantly became a national hero when he led his country into the World Cup finals for the first time in their history.

KIEV: Ukraine will make their debut at the World Cup finals buoyed by veteran keeper Oleksander Shovkovsky although for a while it looked like he might not make it.

FRANKFURT: German organisers say fans can even hand back World Cup tickets on the day of the matches if they are unable to attend any match due to unforeseen circumstances.

MADRID: Raul was once invariably the first name on Spain’s team sheet but now his Real Madrid team mate Iker Casillas is the country’s most influential player.

BERLIN: The World Cup organisers have admitted that they were powerless to enforce a no-smoking campaign in the stadiums at the tournament which kicks off in Germany on June 9.

MADRID: Luis Aragones, the grand old man of Spanish football, was a popular choice when he was named as national coach following the team’s Euro 2004 debacle.

KIEV: Andriy Shevchenko will have the hopes of 50 million countrymen on his shoulders when he leads Ukraine into the World Cup finals for the first time in their history.

RIYADH: Opting for the familiar face and experience, Saudi Arabia remains reliant upon their veteran captain Sami Al-Jaber.

BERLIN: An anti-football demonstration on July 9 could pose security problems in the German capital on the day of the World Cup final, according to a police union leader.

BRUSSELS: People buying unofficial World Cup merchandise risk possible illness, injury or even death, top customs officials have said.

SINGAPORE: More than 30 billion people around the world are expected to watch the World Cup with media operators in Asia eyeing record audiences for the greatest football show on earth.

LONDON: Jerzy Dudek was the man in front of the net who helped Liverpool win last year's Champions League final, saving two penalty kicks against AC Milan in the shootout to complete the comeback win. Robert Pires was a key player in Arsenal’s run to the final in this year’s competition, where the team took the lead but eventually lost to FC B(...)

LONDON: If the play gets boring at the World Cup, watch out for the secret signals between the match officials running the game.

FIFA world ranking: 5

FIFA world ranking: 21