Cameroon and Nigeria have found - to their considerable cost both on and off the pitch - that qualifying for the World Cup can easily turn from a blessing into a curse of biblical proportions.
France captain Raphael Ibanez has been suspended for one week for stamping on Argentina's Rimas Alvarez Kairelis in the World Cup third place play-off on Friday.
Emerick, 26, who specialises at centre but can cover full-back and wing, scored the late try that sealed the Dragons' 24-15 Heineken Cup play-off defeat by Overmach Parma on 2 June.
The 33-year-old was carried off on a stretcher during Wednesday's 1-0 FA Cup third-round replay win at Newcastle.
And two French train-drivers' unions have called for a 24-hour (repeatable) stoppage on June 10th, the day of the World Cup kick-off.
The Dragons lost 43-3 at Murrayfield on Saturday, damaging their hopes of avoiding the Heineken Cup play-off game.
Wright-Phillips was accused of diving in Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final win on Wednesday and Newcastle defender Robbie Elliott was sent off.
But just two months later, following a 3-3 draw away to Red Star Belgrade which took his side into the semi-finals of the European Cup, Morgans was aboard the AS-57 Ambassador which crashed on take-off from Munich airport on the 6 February 1958.
So it will be the Dragons who face a play-off against the third-placed Italian side for the 24th and last Heineken Cup place on offer, with that game taking place on 29 May.
The hosts also have games against Columbia and Denmark, before kicking-off the whole World Cup against Mexico on 11 June.
The month-long World Cup kicks off in South Africa on 11 June.
Worcester Warriors play Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup at Sixways on Thursday 8 October (kick-off 1945 BST).
Pavlyuchenko is in the Russia squad for the opening game of their World Cup play-off against Slovenia in Moscow on Saturday and plans to meet Redknapp with his agent afterwards.
Hazard's kick and red card is just the latest in series of setbacks following the club's exit from the European Champions League and its dismal league form which has seen the London team fall 11 points off the lead, leaving Chelsea to focus on cup competitions -- the FA Cup and the Europa League.
It broke sharply into the cup, and then he hit 3-wood off the tee on the 10th, leaving it some 10 yards short of the green with the left pin.
Daei has featured in Iran's most memorable matches - notably helping the country qualify for the 1998 World Cup on away goals after a 2-2 draw in a play-off against Australia.
"I feel kind of sad beating Colin in the first round, " said Els, who is planning to go to Paris on Sunday for the Rugby World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Argentina which kicks off at 2000 BST.
After a disappointing 2009-10 season London Irish have been rejuvenated this term and although the Premiership leaders are renowned for the potency of their attacking play, they had to rely on a powerful defensive effort to see off their Magners League counterparts, and two-time Heineken Cup champions, Munster.
The Ospreys full-back, 29, limped off during his side's 32-32 Heineken Cup draw with Leicester on Sunday.
Such lofty ambitions have now been drastically readjusted but the lowest- ranked team still standing in the FA Cup at the time of kick-off did their utmost to capitalise on a rare chance to test themselves against Premier League opposition.
The Ducks got off to a 12-0-4 start that year and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Japan came into the match off the back of their first World Cup win on foreign soil after beating Cameroon 1-0 on Monday.
On the flipside, football fans will be happy to hear the Chancellor's news that duty on a pint of some beers will be cut - meaning 14p off per pint in time for the World Cup.
Afridi was in defiant mood following his 52 runs in the Sharjah Cup final win against South Africa last week, playing some exquisite strokes on the off-side.
Iraq's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final game of the Asian Cup in Jakarta on July 29th set off a wave of celebrations.
The top flight is due to kick off the 2009-10 campaign on 8 August, just four days before the national team's World Cup qualifier in Norway.
They were positive right from the outset and full-back Josh Lewsey, starting his first game since England's World Cup semi-final, made a couple of early breaks before being forced off injured on the half-hour mark.
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