Russia relents on visa for journalist

Japan expected to name squad on May 31

BERLIN, May 15, (Agencies): Germany’s foreign minister says Russia has granted entry to the World Cup for a German journalist who exposed systematic doping in Russian athletics, reversing a decision last week that angered German officials.

However, Hajo Seppelt will face questioning if he goes to the tournament, Russian law enforcement said on Tuesday.

German public broadcaster ARD said Seppelt’s visa to report on the World Cup was declared invalid last week on the grounds that he was on a list of people who are “persona non grata.” Officials including Foreign Minister Heiko Maas publicly pressed Russia to reconsider.

On Tuesday, Maas tweeted: “Russian side has just informed us that @hajoseppelt can enter the country at least for the World Cup. Still pushing for free reporting.”

The argument over Seppelt’s visa came ahead of a meeting in Sochi, Russia, on Friday between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Investigative Committee, a major Russian law enforcement agency, said in a statement it will insist on Seppelt being questioned about his reporting if he travels to Russia.

Japan is expected to name its 23man squad for the World Cup on May 31, several days ahead of the June 4 deadline.

Japanese Football Association spokesman Hiroshi Tada said Tuesday the 35-player provisional list has been filed with FIFA. He said that list will not be released.

Tada said Japan will name a squad on Friday for an international friendly on May 30 against Ghana in Yokohama. The final 23-man squad is expected to be announced the next day.

In two World Cup warm-up matches, Japan will face Switzerland on June 8 in Lugano, Switzerland, and Paraguay on June 12 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Japan faces a stiff challenge. They fired Vahid Halilhodzic as coach last month, only two months before the World Cup opens, and replaced him with Akira Hishino.

Japan will be playing in its sixth straight World Cup, but has only twice reached the knockout round, losing both times in the last 16. It reached the last 16 in 2002 under French coach Philippe Troussier, and again in 2010 under Japanese coach Takeshi Okada.

Japan will play in Group H at the World Cup with Colombia, Poland and Senegal.

Joachim Loew has extended his contract as Germany head coach until 2022, the German FA (DFB) announced on Tuesday.

In the post since 2006, Loew, 58, who steered Germany to their 2014 World Cup triumph, has signed a twoyear extension to take him through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Reinhard Grindel, the president of the DFB, confirmed the news at the announcement of Germany’s World Cup squad for the Russia 2018 finals and also revealed Oliver Bierhoff, the national team’s director, has extended until 2024.

The doping ban that will prevent Peru captain Paolo Guerrero of his long-awaited chance to play at the World Cup is unfair and defies common sense, the world players’ union FIFPro said on Tuesday.

Guerrero had just completed a six-month ban after testing positive for cocaine — contained in a tea — when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) increased it to 14 months on Monday. The extended ban, imposed after an appeal to CAS by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), means the 34-year-old will miss next month’s World Cup where Peru have qualified for the first time in 36 years.

FIFPro said in a statement that it wanted an urgent meeting with global soccer body FIFA to review the anti-doping rules in the sport.

“FIFPro considers the ban unfair and disproportionate, and the latest example of a World Anti Doping code that too often leads to inappropriate sanctions, especially when it has been established that there was no intent to cheat,” it said.

Deportivo Alaves forward Munir El Haddadi’s hopes of playing for Morocco ended on Monday when sport’s highest tribunal rejected his appeal against a FIFA ruling that stopped him switching allegiance from Spain.

FIFA rules bar players from changing national teams once they have played a competitive international, even if they hold dual nationality,

Germany’s coaching team stands on a podium at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, Germany on May 15, during the presentation of Germany’s team for the Soccer World Cup in Russia. From left: Miroslav Klose, Hansi Flick, Joachim Loew, Andreas Koepke, Markus

Sorg and Oliver Bierhoff. (AP)

and the global soccer body had rejected Munir’s request to play for Morocco in March.

“Such decision is now confirmed and the request to change the sporting nationality of Munir El Haddadi from Spain to Morocco remains denied,” said CAS in a statement, without giving further details.

The 22-year-old made a single appearance for Spain, in a European championship qualifier against Macedonia in September 2014, when he came on as a substitute and played less than 15 minutes.

CSKA Moscow defender Sergei Ignashevich has come out of international retirement to help desperate World Cup hosts Russia amid an ongoing injury crisis.

Ignashevich had retired from the international game having earned his 100th cap against group opponents Algeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But the 38-year-old centre back will get the chance to add to his 120-cap tally after being called in to replace injured Rubin Kazan defender Ruslan Kambolov, Russia team coach Stanislav Cherchesov announced Monday.

“I thought it was only right that I participate in this World Cup being held in our country,” said Ignashevich.

Kambolov was sidelined after suffering injury against Krasnodar in the final league game of the season last weekend.

In Group A Russia will face Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay and kick off their campaign against the Saudis on June 14.

African football’s leadership will attempt on Wednesday to persuade South Africa to keep backing Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup, officials said on Tuesday.

South Africa, who became the first African country to host the World Cup in 2010, are threatening to break ranks and vote for the rival North American bid in what would be a blow to the African cause.

Confederation of African Football president Ahmad will be hoping to pursuade South African Football Association (SAFA) representatives to back Morocco’s bid when they meet in Johannesburg.

Last week South Africa’s sports minister Tokozile Xasa urged the football association not to vote for Morocco at the FIFA Congress in Moscow on June 13, when each of the member countries of world football’s governing body casts a vote to decide where the 2026 finals will be played.

The two countries have had strained relations since Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Pretoria in 2004 when South Africa recognised the independence of the ‘Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic’ also known as the Western Sahara.

“We are very clear that we can’t support Morocco. Our parliament was very straightforward in this regard’ it is the mandate of the country and it is an obligation for sporting bodies to understand what the country’s agenda is’” Xasa said.