Mawuena named coach

WANGEN IM ALLGAU: Kodjovi Mawuena was named officially as coach of Togo on Saturday replacing Otto Pfister, who walked out on Friday, though the newly-installed handler said he hoped his predecessor would return. Mawuena was one of Pfister’s assistants. The 68-year-old German and his main assistant Piet Hamberg left the Togo camp after he grew tired of the wrangling over players’ bonuses. Mawuena expressed his sadness at Pfister’s departure. “Otto Pfister was like a father to us,” said Mawuena. “His departure has really affected us, but we will continue to follow his tactics and we hope he will return soon.”

Scolari agrees extension

LISBON: Luiz Felipe Scolari has in principle agreed a two-year extension to his contract with the Portuguese football federation, the federation president said, though it depends on how they do at the World Cup. Gilberto Madail told radio station RDP: “We have agreed in principle but I cannot reveal the details for the moment. If Scolari extends his contract, it will be for two years, not four, and will run until Euro 2008.” The 57-year-old Scolari had been touted as a possible successor to England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson a few weeks ago but the Brazilian declined because of intrusion by the English press.

N Korea gets access

SEOUL: Stalinist North Korea has received TV coverage of the 2006 World Cup under way in Germany and plans to broadcast it later to its people. South Korea has fed North Korea live broadcasts via satellite since the opening match on Friday, Seoul’s Yonhap News Agency said. “I heard North Korea is planning to record and later broadcast them terrestrially,” an unidentified Seoul official told Yonhap. South Korea pays for the coverage for North Korea which has no broadcast rights, according to Yonhap. Pyongyang last month asked Seoul’s Korean Broadcasting Commission to help North Koreans watch the World Cup.