Back to the future (Sunday Mail Supplement)

FANS in Malaysia might not realise it but they could be lucky enough to
watch football of the new millennium when the some of the top soccer
powers battle for the World Youth Cup in the next three weeks.
 Five years from now some of the stars unearthed in Malaysia could well
parade their stellar skills at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
 Then, planet Earth could well very different but hopefully, better than
what we know now and on the positive side, that should also apply to the
inhabitants' football skills and showmanship.
 Drawing the inspiration from what they show here and what some stars
will continue to display in France '98, football in the new millenium
could well be a sport embellished by new dimensions.
 Robotic we certainly hope it will not be, but full of new possibilities
and fantasy.
 The trends do point to that direction especially if FIFA, the world's
soccer governing body get a new, visionary and more dynamic leader to
replace Joao Havelange.
 The new man is expected the speed up the democratisation of world
soccer, by advancing the claims of Africa and Asia as soccer's new
continents and truly take the game across national barriers.
 The seeds of the change were sowed when Africa, especially through the
exploits of Ghana at youth levels, Cameroon and Nigeria at World Cup and
Olympic level, began to disturb the world's soccer power equation.
 It gained further credence when Asia joined the chorus, by the sheer
ability and will power displayed by Saudi Arabia and South Korea at USA
94.
 Nigeria were robbed of their rights and dignity by FIFA before the 1995
tournament, shifting it to Qatar.
 Even if the 1996 Olympic champions are not here because they lost out to
Ivory Coast in the qualifiers, the Africans have the spirits to conquer
through Ghana, Morocco, the Ivory Coast and apartheid-free South Africa.
 The young and hungry are restless as ever and this Youth World Cup could
well feed on the innate human need to hope, dream and be free.
 Malaysia have realised their dreams to be hosts and play among the elite
and despite all the hitches and glitches, the quality of football in the
XIth World Youth Cup could be the glitziest ever.
 The fans might not come in droves but the teams will almost make sure of
that.
 Leading the way will be Brazil, three-time winners out to emulate their
famed seniors, by winning their fourth title.
 They might fail, as they have many times before but the Brazilians are
set to dazzle.
 As befitting a team that have produced five of the tournaments' best
players.
 The Golden Ball winners - the Brazilians will not bow out without a
blaze of glory.
 In terms of skills and fantasy, the Brazilians have rivals in the
Ghanaians.
 Sponsored by Malaysian telecommunications giant Telekom Malaysia, Ghana
could be the spoilers of Latin ambitions.
 Speaking of which brings us to Argentina, the champions of 1995. The
Argentines could prove to be too good again.
 The Europeans, with the elegant French side leading the continent, will
be as tough as ever.
 The Australians are not as strong or as well-prepared as their past
achievements have suggested.
 This shifts the task of upholding the Asia-Oceania to South Korea.
 For the Koreans, who still do not like the job of sharing the 2002 World
Cup with the Japanese, Malaysia 97 should be the time to come good.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
1977 Tunisia: Soviet Union 2 Mexico 2 (Soviet 9-8 on penalties)
1979 Japan: Argentina 2 Soviet Union 1
1981 Australia: West Germany 4 Qatar 0
1983 Mexico: Brazil 1 Argentina 0
1985 USSR: Brazil 1 Spain 0
1987 Chile: Yugoslavia 1 West Germany 1 (Yugoslavia 5-4 on penalties)
1989 Saudi Arabia: Portugal 2 Nigeria 0
1991 Portugal: Portugal 0 Brazil 0 (Portugal 4-2 on penalties)
1993 Australia: Brazil 2 Ghana 1
1995 Qatar: Argentina 2 Brazil 0

STARS WHO PLAYED IN PREVIOUS YMC
 ARGENTINA - Jorge Burruchaga, Sergio Goycochea, Diego Maradona
 AUSTRALIA - Frank Farina, Paul Okon
 BRAZIL - Bebeto, Dunga, Jorginho, Silas, Taffarel
 COLOMBIA - Rene Higuita, Ivan Valenciano
 CZECHOSLOVAKIA - Lubos Kubik
 ENGLAND - Neil Webb
 GERMANY - Andreas Moller, Michael Zorc
 GHANA - Nii Odartey Lamptey, Isaac Assare
 ITALY - Giovanni Galli, Riccardo Ferri, Alessandro Melli
 HOLLAND - Marco van Basten, Gerald Venenburg, Johnny van't Schip
 NORWAY - Stig Inge Bjorneby, Henning Berg, Lars Bohinen
 PORTUGAL - Luis Figo, Fernando Couto, Paulo Sousa, Rui Costa
 SCOTLAND - Paul McStay, Brian McClair, Pat Nevin
 SPAIN - Alfonso, Fernando Gomez
 URUGUAY - Hugo De Leon, Enzo Francescoli, Ruben Paz, Ruben Sosa
 USSR - Vladimir Bessonov, Vagiz Khidiatulin, Viktor Onopko, Oleg
 Protasov, Aleksander Zavarov
 YUGOSLAVIA - Davor Suker, Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Boban
                              (END)