Sporting Digest: FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

The European Cup final will be played at the Stade de France, Paris, on May 24 next year, Uefa announced on Saturday. The Uefa Cup final will be staged in Copenhagen on May 17. The venues for the 2001 finals will be decided on December 11 according to Uefa spokesman Frits Ahlstrom.

Japan qualified for next year's Olympic Games by overturning a half-time deficit to beat Kazakhstan 3-1 at Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday night. Japan's French coach, Philippe Troussier, said the game had been won through "heart, desire and ambition."