Wales on tenterhooks over Azerbaijan ban

Azerbaijan's suspension from world football is causing sleepless nights in Wales.

Mark Hughes' rejuvenated national team are lying top of their Euro 2004 qualifying group nine after four straight wins. But two of those wins were against Azerbaijan, kicked out of the world game due to repeated breaches of FIFA's code of conduct.

Football Association of Wales' international secretary Mark Evans spelled out their concerns.

"We have beaten them (Azerbaijan) twice but they held Serbia to a draw which means one of our major group rivals has dropped two points to them," said Evans.

"If the results are eventually expunged, we would obviously suffer most."

However UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner said there was still a long way to go before Wales' worst fears are realised.

"It's much too early to talk about results being expunged," Faulkner insisted.

"That would seem the logical decision, but we are a long way away from that yet.

"We have to digest the FIFA decision and there are lots of meetings and political discussions to take place before any national federation is thrown out of our competition.

"It would be the last thing we would want to do, and it's far too early to say that Wales will lose their six points and at the moment far too early to even say the next Azerbaijan game in June is in doubt."

FIFA's ban specifically included the current Euro 2004 qualifiers, and immediately at risk is Serbia-Montenegro's tough trip to Baku on June 11 - with Wales hoping Azerbaijan could repeat February's 2-2 draw in Belgrade which has given Hughes' men a crucial advantage in the group.