Australia blocks Fiji's 2002 World Cup team
First Published: Feb 23, 2001A political coup last year in Fiji is damaging plans to hold 2002 World Cup matches in Australia.
The Oceania federation may move games from Australia after the Australian government insisted travel visas for Fiji nationals would not be issued for sporting teams.
Australia is due to host Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga in April during the opening phase of the Oceania World Cup qualifiers.
The federation is considering sending all the teams to play in Fiji and Australia have until the end of this month to decide the final status of travel visas for the Fijian team.
An Australian government ban on Fijian teams was introduced after armed rebels overthrew Fiji's elected Indian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry in May last year.
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