KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 7: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Fifa are expected to formally announce the praticipation of Asian teams in the 2002 World Cup, a source close to the AFC said today.The source told AFP the announcement would be made following a meeting today in Zurich between AFC president Sultan Ahmad Shah and Fifa chief Sepp Blatter.The decision ends the threat by Asian countries to boycott the World Cup jointly staged by Japan and South Korea.The AFC were upset at what they considered an unfair allocation of places for the 2002 World Cup and staged a dramatic walkout at Fifa's extraordinary general meeting in Los Angeles in June.``With the amicable agreement having been reached, a major split in international football has been averted,'' the source said.``It is also to Blatter's credit that the issue has been effectively resolved,'' the source added.The AFC executive has reportedly called off an emergency extraordinary general meeting planned for October in Kuala Lumpur. The issue is believed to have been resolved after a meeting between Blatter and Sultan Azlan Shah along with AFC supremo Peter Velappan in Zurich.The source said the breakthrough came after the Asian contingent agreed to take up the offer of four-and-a-half seats for the World Cup but may get to play Oceania instead of Europe for the fifth berth. Asian members had issued the boycott threat after being handed only four places at the tournament with a play-off chance against a European side. The AFC had initially demanded five automatic berths.
