Sporting Digest: Football

NORTH KOREA came back from two goals down to beat Iraq 3-2 in the opening match of Asia's World Cup final qualifying tournament in Doha, Qatar, yesterday. Iraq's centre-forward, Alaa Jebur, scored early in each half, but North Korea fought back with three goals after the Iraqi full-back, Saad Benyamin, was sent off in the 47th minute for a second yellow card offence.

WORLD CUP ASIAN SECOND ROUND

North Korea (0)3 Iraq (1)2

Ryu Song-gun 67 Alaa Jebur 7, 46

Kim Gyong-il 77 17,000

Choe Won-nam 82

(Iraq's Saad Benyamin sent off after 47min)

Japan0 Saudi Arabia0

10,000

(both games at Khalifa stadium, Qatar)

MARK BOSNICH, the Aston Villa goalkeeper, has been left out of Australia's squad for their World Cup qualifier against Argentina in Sydney on 31 October. Bosnich refused to play against Canada in an earlier round, fearing it would jeopardize his club career, but he will be restored to the squad if he can settle his differences with the Australian Soccer Federation.

AUSTRALIAN SQUAD (v Argentina, World Cup qualifying play-offs v Argentina, 31 Oct in Sydney, 17 Nov in Buenos Aires): Zabica (Adelaide City), Schwarzer (Marconi- Fairfield); Zelic (Borussia Dortmund), Longo (Cercle Bruges), Blagojevic (Heerenveen), Van Blerk (Go Ahead Eagles), T Vidmar (Adelaide City), Ivanovic (Adelaide City), Durakovic (South Melbourne), Tobin (Adelaide City), Lazaridis (West Adelaide); Wade (South Melbourne), Arnold (RFC Liege), Polak (South Melbourne), Slater (Lens); * Farina (Strasbourg), A Vidmar (Waregem), Veart (Adelaide City), Mitchell (Millwall), Corica (Marconi-Fairfield). * Suspended for first leg.

BRISTOL CITY have been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over an application by the club for grant aid from the Football Trust. The club chairman, Leslie Kew, has been charged separately. The club have 14 days to reply to the charge, and request a personal hearing.

KEITH BURKINSHAW, the West Bromwich Albion manager, yesterday transfer-listed the injury-troubled utility player Wayne Fereday.

CRYSTAL PALACE yesterday signed a six-figure, two-year sponsorship deal with TDK UK, the audio and video tape company. The deal leaves Charlton and Watford as the only First Division clubs without sponsors.

NEVILLE OVENDEN COMBINATION First Division: Norwich City 2 Bristol Rovers 1.

BORD GAIS LEAGUE OF IRELAND Premier Division: Bohemians 1 Shelbourne 0.

GERMAN LEAGUE: Dynamo Dresden 1 Karlsruhe 1; Wattenscheid 2 Cologne 2; Duisburg 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 0.

DUTCH LEAGUE: Roda JC Kerkrade 2 Vitesse Arnhem 1.

TRANSFERS: Terry Evans, defender, Brentford to Wycombe Wanderers ( pounds 40,000); Mark Flatts, striker, Arsenal to Cambridge United (loan).

EIGHT players - four from each side - were shown the red card as Gremio Porto Alegre of Brazil beat Uruguay's Penarol 2-0 in the quarter- finals of the South American Champions' Cup clubs on Thursday. Gremio overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. Penarol players fought with riot police after the match.