21.   French midfielder Youri Djorkaeff said Saturday that he would be retiring from international football after the World Cup in Japan and South Korea this summer.

22.   Gheorghe Hagi is one of the most feared midfield players in the world -- at least in international football.

23.   Ghanaian striker Nii Lamptey wants a rest from international football, so he can make his mark in the English Premiership.

24.   He also called for UEFA to protect the interests of international football, which he said was increasingly under threat from club schedules overburdened by the European cups.

25.   He has indicated he will quit international football after the championship.

26.   He has also never played international football before.

27.   He stressed that the pull of international football was the biggest motivator.

28.   However they are now on the verge of entering an international football wilderness after years of building up their reputation as a nation to be feared.

29.   However Bayern Munich keeper Oliver Kahn slammed Scholl for retiring from international football, saying his form for Bayern suggested he was capable of playing at the World Cup.

30.   However, the international football federation said the African Confederation records confirmed the Nigerian position that Baruba was eligible.