Brazil to host Copa America

Brazil are set to host the Copa America next month with several of their major stars still boycotting the event.

Colombia have lost the chance to host the Copa after its federation vice-president was kidnapped two days ago.

"The Copa America will not be in Colombia," Eugenio Figueredo, vice president of the South American Football Confederation has told rdio stations.

"There are positive signs that it will take place in Brazil."

Uruguay are also putting themselves forward as new hosts.

Nine of the ten competing nations at next month's Copa Amwerica asked for Colombia to be dumped as its venue and moved to either Brazil or Uruguay..

The request to tournament organizers was made by presidents of the soccer confederations of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. It comes after yesterday's announcement that the tournament was suspended after the kidnapping of Colombian federation vice-president Hernan Mejia Campuzano

The Copa may be cancelled when FIFA said today it would not force the event to take place.

"It is their competition. It is entirely up to them," FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said from the governing body's headquarters in Switzerland.

"We feel sorry they are in this position. It is not for us to say."

South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz said the organisation would make a final decision by Friday on the future of this year's tournament which has seen major stars pull out and death threats made to the Argentina squad already.

"The decision which has been notified to the Colombian Federation by the South American Football Confederation is that Copa America has been suspended until Hernan Mejia is released," a spokesman for the federation said.

Campuzano was seized by armed men at a makeshift road block two days ago but no ransom demand has yet been received.

Rivaldo and Antonio Carlos have refused to play in the Copa America this year encouraging Lazio to keep tracking the player.

"I haven't had a holiday for three or four years," Rivaldo said.

"Another year without holidays and I could injury myself and miss more important games like the ones against Paraguay and Argentina," which are 2002 World Cup qualifiers for Brazil.

Antonio Carlos, Cafu and Roberto Carlos will all miss the Copa despite new Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari asking for them especially to forget about holidays and play in the tournament which is close to being completely downgraded as most stars chose to avoid previous host country Colombia.

But with Brazil set to host the Copa next month there will ne renewed pressure on Scolari to deliver his top stars for the event.