More of Africa FIFA President Sepp Blatter has called for Africa to be given more places at future World Cup finals. Africa will have its usual five countries at Germany 2006, which kicks off in June. "Those with a bigger representation will automatically have a better chance," Blatter told the Confederation of African Football congress in Cairo. "What must be done? You've to fight on the pitch and I can assure you that we'll continue to fight for a better African representation." Blatter was talking at the CAF congress in Egypt ahead of the African Cup of Nations. In 2010, Africa will host the finals for the first time when South Africa stages the competition. Though FIFA has not finalised whether South Africa will cost the continent a place at 2010 or will, in fact, add a sixth slot, Blatter clearly indicated that he favoured the latter. "In 1998, when I was on the way to the FIFA presidency, I had a project in mind to bring the World Cup to Africa. That has now been done," he explained. Blatter said skeptics who predicted that a World Cup in Africa would generate less money than previous tournaments had been proved wrong and he said South Africa would be a bigger success than Germany. "The market has not been mistaken, it's the prophets who have made a mistake," Blatter said. "The 2010 World Cup, with most of the contracts that we have reached with television and sponsors, will bring in more money than that of 2006. "That means that football is an excellent product, and that the World Cup is even bigger because it has a bigger audience than the Olympic Games." "Everyone wants to be there, and for me the most important thing is that it means people have confidence in Africa." "The whole world will be behind this World Cup." Blatter said that extra money would be available for football development programmes in Africa, including an initiative to enable young talented players to have a career on their own continent, rather than move to Europe. "Obviously, you'll still need a few stars elsewhere in the world, but not the hundreds and thousands who play in the second or third divisions in other countries," the FIFA chief said. Hayatou defends timing THE PRESIDENT of the CAF, Issa Hayatou, has defended the timing of the ACN. His comments came despite protests from many European clubs. Hayatou said wet weather would prevent many African countries hosting the event during the European close season. "We would not have decent pitches to stage the tournament on," he said. It would be more like water polo than football." French and English clubs have been particularly hard hit at a crucial time of the season, with clubs such as St Etienne and Bolton Wanderers having six and four players called up respectively. Asked why the mid-year World Cup had been awarded to South Africa in 2010, Hayatou said weather conditions in north and southern Africa were favourable for football at that time. "But for the rest, it is not possible," he stressed. North African countries Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia were the other contenders for the 2010 World Cup, destined to be the first edition of the quadrennial tournament to ever be staged in Africa. Threat to boycott DR CONGO captain Lomana LuaLua revealed he and his team-mates were just hours away from boycotting their opening game . DR Congo players threatened to strike over a pay dispute with team officials, but went on to beat Togo 2-0. LuaLua said: "It should have been sorted out a long time ago what they were going to pay the players. "We are still waiting for it to be resolved but we are united and as captain I'll stick up for everyone." LuaLua said it was a telephone call from DR Congo president Joseph Kabila that persuaded them the matter would soon be resolved. "I spoke to him 15 minutes before the game," added LuaLua. "He told us to really do well and that he would sort things out. That was a bonus for us. "The president gave his word and I'm sure he won't let us down. "We told the official that whatever you're offering the players you can keep it, and when you come back with something better you can let us know, but we're going to play this game. "We know how much it means to our people back home and we can't let down the people who have spent their money to travel here." Manager Claude LeRoy supported the players' cause and LuaLua acknowledged it has been hard on the Frenchman, who only wanted to prepare his team for the tournament. "The manager's been brilliant," said LuaLua. "He was down yesterday...he's been through a lot." Siding with his team, LeRoy had told a packed news conference: "There are people in the government who do not respect our players." TV cut BURUNDIAN football fans are angry that they are not able to watch this year's ACN matches on national television. The state broadcaster RTNB had warned fans that it could not afford the $300,000 for the television rights. Burundi has never qualified for the competition but even during the civil war, RTNB always broadcast the matches. The competition is followed avidly and people are angry about the news. Fans have to subscribe to expensive satellite channels or go to bars to watch the games. But given the country's erratic electricity supply and its low voltage, it would have been difficult to see the tournament even if RTNB could afford the rights, he says. Several other countries, including Ghana and Zambia, have also had difficulty securing the rights to screen matches which kick off on Friday. More than 300,000 people were killed during Burundi's 12-year civil war which came to an end last year with the election of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Before the war, Nkurunziza used to coach the army football team and a Burundian first division team. Remaining still TOGO striker Sheyi Adebayor is to stay with the team at the ACN in Egypt despite vowing to quit the camp. Stephen Keshi, coach of Togo, said the row between him and the newly-signed Arsenal player was a "family disagreement". "In a home, there are always misunderstandings between sons and fathers, because you want things right," said Keshi. "It's just for you and the kids to come to a compromise and that's what we did. Sheyi's a good kid, one who wants to learn and loves the game. I want the same thing -- I want to win and I want to learn." The Togo coach was seen to be physically restrained from confronting Adebayor on the team bus on Saturday, after Togo lost to DR Congo in their opening game in Group B. Tempers seem to have cooled after Keshi accused Adebayor of indiscipline and trying to soil his reputation. Out again AN INJURY to Morocco defender Abdeslam Ouaddou has knocked him out of the Nations Cup. The 27-year-old defender, who hurt his thigh during a friendly match against Zimbabwe on 14 January, has been ruled out of action for three weeks. Ouaddou missed Morocco's opening match Group A game against Ivory Coast on Saturday and was hoping to play against Egypt on Tuesday. Ouaddou will however stay with his team to support his teammates. It is the second time Ouaddou is going to the Nations Cup without kicking a ball. At the 2002 Nations Cup in Mali, he was expelled from the team after disciplinary problems involving a team-mate. Michel happy IVORY Coast coach Henri Michel says he was satisfied with Saturday's 1-0 win Morocco. "It's good to have won, even though it was a difficult game against a very good Morocco side and on a pitch where you couldn't play quality football. It was too hard and too bobbly," he said. "We played well, and handled things very professionally. It's important for the rest of the campaign to have started well." Morocco defender Noureddine Naybet, whose team reached the 2004 final against Tunisia, pinpointed the lack of finishing for his side's defeat after Didier Drogba converted a 39th-minute penalty. "We didn't make the most of what we had... and they took their chance and scored," he said.
