Star billing for Cameroon at Afro-Asian Games (12.08.2001)
NEW DELHI,
Olympic champions Cameroon will be the main attraction at this year`s Afro-Asian Games soccer tournament, Indian Olympic Association secretary general Randhir Singh has confirmed.
The African Nations` Cup holders will be one of four teams representing the African continent at November`s tournament, with South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco also taking part.
The quartet will face 1998 Asian Games gold medallists Iran, runners-up Kuwait, Thailand and hosts India.
The Asian tournament will serve as a useful pre-World Cup exercise for Cameroon, South Africa and Nigeria, who have already booked their places for next year in Japan and Korea.
Cameroon were the first to secure their berth after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Togo last
month in African zone group A.
They were closely followed by South Africa, who secured their spot from group E after struggling to a 1-1 away draw to Burkina Faso.
Nigeria, meanwhile, beat arch-rivals Ghana 3-0 to clinch their World Cup from group B.
Iran still have a chance of claiming one of Asia`s two automatic qualifying berths, alongside hosts Japan and Korea, after winning their first round group.
They play their opening game of the Asia zone second round qualifying group A against Saudi Arabia in Tehran on August 24th.
Thailand also have a chance of qualifying from second-round group A and play their first match against Iraq on Friday.
Kuwait and India have both failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
