Mbeki asks Spain for easy ride

Mbeki asks Spain for easy ride

ROME: South Africa's president has jokingly asked his Spanish counterpart to order the national soccer team to give South Africa an easy ride into the next round of the World Cup when they meet on Wednesday.

In Rome to attend a World Food Summit, South African President Thabo Mbeki found himself sitting next to Prime Minister Jose Maria Maria Aznar during one of the meetings.

"Spain was next to South Africa and Aznar turned to me and said, 'You know we meet later this week?'" Mbeki told Reuters late on Tuesday.

"I said, 'I know. And since you guys are already through, isn't there any way you can ask your people to lose or at least give draw with us?'" he jokingly related.

He did not say what Aznar's reply was.

South Africa take on Spain in their final group B clash later on Wednesday needing a draw to be sure of clinching a place in the knock-out stages of the World Cup.

It is only South Africa's second appearance in the finals. They were knocked out at the group stage in France in 1998. -- euters