FIFA ruling
FIFA closed the door on attempts to overturn a ban for doping imposed on Fernando Couto of Portugal and Edgar Davids of the Netherlands. The players were banned from international football on Thursday after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.
FIFA said their suspensions were not subject to appeals lodged by their respective national federations in a bid to clear the players for their countries' crucial 2002 World Cup qualifying matches today. A FIFA spokesman said the ban on Couto, who plays for Italian club Lazio, and Davids, of Juventus, would remain in effect until the end of the ban imposed by the Italian league.
Northern Ireland
Sammy Mcilroy has called up Sunderland left-back George McCartney into his Northern Ireland squad for the first time for today's Group Three meeting with Bulgaria at windsor Park.
McIlroy has also been boosted by the news that David Healy, Colin Murdock and Neil Lennon have all shaken off knocks and are fit to play.
Bulgarian midfielder Marian Hristov could make a surprise return from injury for the game. Hristov was not expected to figure after being sidelined for the past month with a broken bone in his foot. However, the Kaiserslautern star took part in Bulgaria's training session at Windsor Park and, providing he suffers no reaction, he could figure.
Wales
Wales dusted down the rule book yesterday and declared that John Hartson would definitely be travelling to Ukraine for next Wednesday's World Cup qualifier, despite being refused a visa by the Ukraine embassy.
Responding to the embassy's complaint that Hartson's passport was in such a battered condition that some pages could not be read, the Wales manager Mark Hughes said: "FIFA regulations mean that Ukraine must allow him in. It's not an issue because he has a valid passport and that is enough for FIFA."
Hartson's presence in the Wales side will be academic anyway unless the side first beats Poland in this afternoon's Group Five encounter. Anything but a victory over the group leaders will almost certainly mean Wales missing out again on a place in a major finals.
Hughes has doubts over Mark Delaney with a hamstring worry, the newly picked Jason Koumas with a leg injury and Steve Jenkins with a thigh strain.
Group Nine
Liverpool's Jari Litmanen will play his first game since breaking his wrist in March's World Cup defeat against England, as Finland look to salvage their Group Nine hopes against Germany in Helsinki today.
Litmanen should be joined by five other English-based players, although Chelsea's Mikael Forssell had a scare when he wrote off his new BMW in Helsinki this week. The striker was unhurt and is expected to start up front alongside Charlton's Jonatan Johansson.
In today's other Group Nine game England's next opponents Greece take on Albania in Crete.
Group One
Former international Dejan Savicevic takes on his first game in charge of Yugoslavia when they play Russia in Moscow today. Savicevic joined forces with former national team coach Vujadin Boskov and soccer administrator Ivan Curkovic to take charge of the team for two games following the sacking of Milovan Djoric in May.
The Yugoslavs, beaten 1-0 by group leaders Russia five weeks ago in Belgrade, lie fourth in their group with just five points from four matches. They need to win today to have any chance of clinching at least a play-off berth.
Central defender Sinisa Mihajlovic has handed the captain's armband back to Predrag Mijatovic, recalled to the national team after being left out by Djoric for the last two matches.
Group Eight
Italy face Georgia today in a World Cup qualifier totally overshadowed by a kidnapping. Levan Kaladze, younger brother of Georgia and AC Milan midfielder Kakha Kaladze, was seized last week as he made his way home from medical school in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. He has not been seen since and his captors, reportedly holding him in the lawless Pankisi gorge area close to the separatist Russian region of Chechnya, are demanding $600,000 for his release.
Kakha Kaladze has been in Georgia all week trying to secure his brother's freedom. His Georgian team-mates threatened to boycott the match if 21-yearold Levan was not released but have now agreed to play. The Italians have expressed concern over safety in the former Soviet state but have insisted the match go ahead.
France lose
World Cup holders France slumped to a 1-0 defeat by Australia and saw temporary skipper Frank Lebeouf sent off in a stunning upset at the Confederations Cup in South Korea yesterday.
Australia's big centre forward Clayton Zane poached a goal that condemned France to their first loss in official competition since they won the European Championship last year.
