THAILAND: SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN ARE DRAWN AGAINST ONE ANOTHER TO ASIAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER FOR 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP

Record ID: 189787

  • Title: THAILAND: SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN ARE DRAWN AGAINST ONE ANOTHER TO ASIAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER FOR 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP
  • Date: 1st June 2001
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (JUNE 1, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER ENTERING ROOM 2. JOURNALISTS 3. (SOUNDITE) (ENGLISH) FIFA PRESIDENT JOSEPH BLATTER, SAYING: "I would like to wish you all well and would like to add a message. A message that when I see that you play in two groups by five, and the best of them is qualified and one has to play half a place. Now I realise it should one full place. But we cannot change it now." 4. WIDE SHOT OF STAGE 5. VARIOUS OF DRAW 6. VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS WALKING AROUND AFTER DRAW 7. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) COACH OF SAUDI ARABIAN TEAM, SLOBODAN SANTRAC, SAYING: "Position in Asia this moment is Saudi Arabia, the first team. (Reporter - what are going to be the most difficult matches? Iran?) Yes, Iran, Iraq, Thailand is very strong. Every team is very strong." 8. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) COACH OF CHINA TEAM, BORA MILUTINOVIC, SAYING: "I feel good normally. Now we need to prepare our team for qualification. We have very good team...good arabic team. But it's important who you play. We need good ambiance, positive ambiance around the team -- public, everything. But I'm very optimistic." 9. CLOSE UP OF FIFA FOOTBALL WITH TEAM LISTS IN THE BACKGROUND 10. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) COACH OF THAILAND TEAM, PETER WITHE, SAYING: "When you look at our group and you look at it -- there's two teams -- Iran and Saudi Arabia who have been to the World Cup finals before. So it makes it, they've got the experience behind them where we're a young nation who's striving to improve. So it will be tough, but I knew it was going to be tough anyway." 11. OFFICIALS ON STAGE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVACA7Q432EJCUUNGQZSOS30KD45
  • Story Text: Saudi Arabia and Iran, who both made it to the 1998
    World Cup in France, will be vying for one of two automatic
    Asian qualification spots for the 2002 finals in Japan and
    South Korea.



    The two Middle Eastern teams were drawn together in
    the same Asian zone group A in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday
    (June 1), along with Thailand, Iraq and footballing minnows
    Bahrain.

    Group B brought together United Arab Emirates, China,
    Uzbekistan, Qatar and Oman.

    Teams in both groups play each other at home and away,
    with the two group winners automatically qualifying for the
    World Cup finals.

    Both group runners-up will play off on a home-and-away
    basis to progress to a final play-off with a runner-up from
    the European qualifying competition.

    FIFA president Sepp Blatter, speaking at the draw,
    apologised for the small number of World Cup places reserved
    for Asian teams.

    FIFA gave Asia the chance of an extra place -- through a
    play-off with a European team -- only after strong protests
    from the Asian Football Confederation.

    "I would like to wish you all well and would like to add a
    message," he said. "When I see that you play in two groups by
    five, and the best of them is qualified and one has to play
    half a place. Now I realise it should be one full place. But
    we cannot change it now".

    Saudi Arabia, currently ranked 28 in the world, go into
    group A as strong favourites. Their coach, Slobodan Santrac,
    seemed quietly optimistic about the draw.

    "The position in Asia this moment is Saudi Arabia, the
    first team," he said "Iran, Iraq, Thailand is very strong.

    Every team is very strong."
    With only one team qualifying from each group, Bora
    Milutinovic's side have been handed their best chance of
    playing in the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea.

    China's coach Bora Milutinovic said he was pleased with
    the result of the draw, happy his team was not put in the same
    group as Saudi Arabia.

    "I feel good normally," he said. "Now we need to prepare
    our team for qualification. We have very good team... good
    Arabic team. But it's important who you play. We need good
    ambiance, positive ambiance around the team -- public,
    everything. But I'm very optimistic".

    It wasn't such a positive draw for Thailand -- who have
    struggled to make it this far.

    Coach Peter Withe had hoped for his team not to be placed
    with Iran and Saudi Arabia, but he says despite the draw, his
    they still stand a chance.

    "When you look at our group and you look at it -- there's
    two teams -- Iran and Saudi Arabia who have been to the World
    Cup finals before," said Withe. "So it makes it, they've got
    the experience behind them where we're a young nation who's
    striving to improve. So it will be tough, but I knew it was
    going to be tough anyway."
    The games will be played on a home-and-away basis in
    mid-August.


    Draw:
    Group A: Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; Iraq; Thailand; Iran
    Group B: United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Qatar; Oman;
    China


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