Australia, Egypt, Panama, Solomon Islands and Thailand will take part in the Bangkok All-Star Futsal Festival, a warm-up tournament for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012.
Any plans by Sepp Blatter to increase the number of African and Asian countries and cut the number of European places at future World Cups will be opposed by Britain's FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce.
After the remarkable exploits of Didier Drogba, Tony Yeboah, Michael Essien, Yakubu and others in recent years, it will come as a surprise to no-one that a new crop of Africans are once again taking the English Premier League by storm.
Ghana midfielder Rabiu Mohammed was not included in the bans handed out by the French football Federation following the brawl at the end of his club Evian's match against league leaders Paris St. Germain last weekend.