Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/707940
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2016 20 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL FIFA chief wants two more Africa slots in expanded World Cup AFRICA should be given two more places at the World Cup fi- nals if the tournament is expand- ed to 40 teams, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino told reporters on a brief trip to Nigeria on Monday. Infantino repeated his presiden- tial election manifesto pledge to push for the World Cup to grow by eight teams to 40 and wants Af- rica to get at least two extra slots from 2026. "I believe for the World Cup 2026 – because the 2018 and 2022 finals are already decided – there should be 40 teams... and out of the eight more there should be at least two slots for African teams," he told reporters. "This is what I declared during my campaign and as you know I'm not a dictator but a democratically elected FIFA president, so I have to speak to everyone and listen to everyone as well," he added in Abuja. An expanded World Cup was one of the key points in the elec- tion manifesto of Infantino, who was voted in as the president of world soccer's governing body in February. The next two World Cup tour- naments have a field of 32 teams with Africa having had five places since the last increase in 1998, ex- cept for 2010 when, with the tour- nament hosted in South Africa, there were six African nations at the finals. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari receives a present from FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Abuja, Nigeria Sakho's Liverpool future in doubt after being sent home MAMADOU Sakho faces an un- certain future at Liverpool after the defender was sent back to England from the Premier League club's pre-season tour of America. According to British media re- ports, manager Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with the 26-year-old's attitude during their stay in Cali- fornia and ordered his return to Liverpool. Sakho angered the German manager by turning up late for Liverpool's flight to the United States while last weekend he in- terrupted Klopp while he was con- ducting an interview with the club website, the reports said. The France international, who was recently cleared by UEFA af- ter allegations of a failed drugs test, is currently nursing an Achil- les injury. He will continue receiving treatment at Melwood, the club's training ground, and is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season, which begins on Aug. 13. Mamadou Sakho