World Cup: South Africans send two players home

TWO SOUTH African players, Brendan Augustine and Naughty Mokoena, are to be sent home after staying out until dawn yesterday.

Augustine, who had started both of South Africa's matches so far, and the reserve Mokoena will miss the rest of their country's first finals for nightclubbing until 5.10am in Vichy.

The South African Football Association president, Molefi Oliphant, said: "They've been suspended. They won't be part of the team for the duration of the World Cup."

According to Oliphant and the Safa chief executive, Danny Jordaan, the two players went out on Saturday night in violation of a team curfew. When confronted yesterday, they admitted making a mistake, but Oliphant said: "It's not a mistake, it's defiance."

The South African coach, Philippe Troussier, had reached the end of his tether with the pair, who will be flying home today. "It is the second time these players have done this and I cannot accept it. They have a responsibility to the team and the country, and they have to respect that," he said. The previous weekend it was reported that 10 players went out on a late-night drinking spree, the day after South Africa had been beaten 3-0 by France in their opening match.

South Korea's coach, Cha Bum-kun, was sacked yesterday following his side's 5-0 thrashing by the Netherlands on Saturday.

Cha, the second coach to be fired at France 98 after Saudi Arabia dismissed Carlos Alberto Parreira on Saturday, agreed that he had to take the responsibility for the Koreans' early exit from the tournament. "I did my best, but the results were very poor," he said.

The 45-year-old will be replaced by his assistant, Kim Pyung-seok, for the South Koreans' final game against Belgium on Thursday. The Saudis, meanwhile, have appointed Mohammad Al-Kharashi as their caretaker coach.