Asians call off W. Cup boycott

Asians call off W. Cup boycott

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA are expected to formally announce the participation of Asian teams in the 2002 World Cup, a source close to the AFC said Tuesday.

The source told AFP that the announcement would be made following a meeting on Tuesday in Zurich between AFC president, Sultan Ahmad Shah, and FIFA chief, Sepp Blatter.

The decision ends a threat by Asian countries to boycott the World Cup, which is jointly staged by Japan and South Korea.

The AFC was upset at what it considered an unfair allocation of places for the 2002 World Cup and staged a dramatic walkout at FIFA's extraordinary general meeting in Los Angeles in June.

"With an amicable agreement having been reached, a major split in international football has been averted," the source said.