Football: Tide of support with Africans in 2006

AMID THE popping of champagne corks and chants of "Auld Lang Syne" last night, an important football deadline passed. The second biggest prize in world football, after winning the World Cup, is to stage the quadrennial jamboree and the application period to host the 2006 competition formally closed in Zurich last night.

The seven-nation shortlist has a distinctly African flavour, with four countries applying. They represent the length and breadth of the continent, from Morocco and Egypt in the north, to sub-tropical Ghana in the west, and South Africa in the south. Africa has never hosted the finals and Sepp Blatter, the president of football's governing body, Fifa, has already said it would be "logical" to take the 2006 finals there.

However, Blatter has stressed that all World Cup requirements must be met. That means providing modern stadia, transport and telecommunications, and safe conditions for players and spectators (not to mention sponsors). This is where England and Germany, the European candidates, will hope to capitalise.

The seventh candidate is Brazil, which is relying on the emotional pull of those famous yellow shirts and the logical attraction of a first South American finals since Argentina 78.

Fifa still insists that splitting the finals, as with South Korea and Japan in 2002, is not an option, but this is not an absolute. It was not supposed to be an option in 2002. However, negotiations for 2002 are not going well and another split finals - which would only be practical between England and Germany of the bidders - is unlikely.

Campaigning will now intensify, along with the bad-mouthing. Already England, having carefully kept quiet until now, have begun dropping mentions of South Africa's "crime" problem into their pronouncements.

And yesterday the campaign director for England's 2006 bid, Alec McGivan, spoke out in response to Franz Beckenbauer's recent claim that Brazil posed a bigger threat to Germany's bid than the English.

"There has been evidence of a lack of enthusiasm among the German community, and indeed the German government in the past," McGivan said. "I think one of the things that the Germans have openly envied has been the support we have had from our own government for the bid we are putting forward."

It is especially important that the Football Association settles its internal crisis quickly. Keith Wiseman, the lame-duck chairman, faces the full council on Monday 4 January. If he is reprieved, or finds a constitutional way to hang on until the summer meeting, the consequences for England's bid could be grave.

Assuming order is restored at Lancaster Gate, England's main rivals, come the final vote in March, 2000, are likely to be Germany and South Africa. The latter are favourites, but even coming second might be enough. Fifa will reserve the right to move the finals if South Africa destabilises politically or fails to meet infrastructure requirements. This happened to Colombia in 1986 when Mexico stepped in to the breach. Given the weight of support swinging behind South Africa, this scenario could be England's best chance.

WORLD CUP FINALS 1930-98: CROWD APPEAL

Date Continent Country Attendance (Average)

1930 South America Uruguay 434,500 (24,138)

1934 Europe Italy 395,000 (23,235)

1938 Europe France 483,000 (26,833)

1950 South America Brazil 1,337,000 (60,772)

1954 Europe Switzerland 943,000 (36,270)

1958 Europe Sweden 868,000 (24,800)

1962 South America Chile 776,000 (24,250)

1966 Europe England 1,614,677 (50,458)

1970 Central America Mexico 1,673,975 (52,311)

1974 Europe W Germany 1,774,022 (46,684)

1978 South America Argentina 1,610,215 (42,374)

1982 Europe Spain 2,064,364 (38,816)

1986 Central America Mexico 2,441,731 (46,956)

1990 Europe Italy 2,515,168 (48,368)

1994 North America USA 3,567,415 (68,604)

1998 Europe France 2,775,400 (43,366)