Ghana has called on African countries to boycott the World Youth Championship which begins on Thursday

FOOTBALL

Ghana has called on African countries to boycott the World Youth Championship which begins on Thursday, because the event has been switched to Qatar from Nigeria, following Fifa's decision that the security and health insurance problems were too great. Fifa has omitted Nigeria from the championship after the country's failure to confirm its entry.

The Tottenham striker, Jrgen Klinsmann, will lead Germany's attack in the European Championship qualifier against Wales in Dsseldorf on 26 April. Klinsmann looks certain to retain his place in the starting line- up after scoring both goals in the victory over Georgia last month.

GERMANY SQUAD: A Kpke, S Klos, O Reck, M Babbel, T Helmer, J Kohler, S Reuter, M Sammer, R Weber, C Ziege, M Basler, D Eilts, S Freund, T Hssler, J Heinrich, A Mller, M Scholl, J Todt, H Herrlich, U Kirsten, J Klinsmann, S Kuntz.

NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD (European Championship Group Six qualifier v Latvia, Riga, 26 April): Fettis (Hull), Wood (Walsall), Fleming, (Barnsley), Taggart (Barnsley), McDonald (QPR), Worthington (Leeds), Patterson (Crystal Palace), Dowie (Crystal Palace), Magilton (Southampton), Hughes (West Ham), Gray (Sunderland), Morrow (Arsenal), O'Neill (Hibernian), Gillespie (Newcastle), Horlock (Swindon), McMahon (Tottenham), Hill (Leicester), Quinn (Reading).

PROFESSIONAL ERS' ASSOCIATION PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD: 1 A Shearer (Blackburn); 2 M Le Tissier (Southampton); 3 J Klinsmann (Tottenham). YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD: 1 R Fowler (Liverpool); 2 N Barmby (Tottenham); 3 C Sutton (Blackburn). DIVISIONAL TEAMS AWARDS: Premiership: Flowers (Blackburn), Jones (Liverpool), Pallister (Man Utd), Hendry (Blackburn), Le Saux (Blackburn), Ince (Man Utd), Le Tissier, Sherwood (Blackburn), Shearer, Klinsmann, Sutton. First Division: Hislop (Reading), Cox (Middlesbrough), Stubbs (Bolton), Short (Derby), Thatcher (Millwall), McAteer (Bolton), Rae (Millwall), Pollock (Middlesbrough), Hendrie (Middlesbrough), Aldridge (Tranmere), Fjortoft (Swindon, now Middlesbrough). Second Division: I Bennett (Birmingham), Poole (Birmingham), Daish