Wayne Rooney is writing to UEFA in hopes of keeping his one-game ban in the European championship from being extended.
Rooney was sent off in England's draw with Montenegro for an unnecessary kick to Miodrag Dzudovic, and it's up to UEFA to judge whether the automatic suspension should be increased to three matches for violent conduct. Video of the kick can be seen here.
Rooney is already slated to miss England's opening match of the finals next summer, and his actions have caused manager Fabio Capello to drop him from the squad for friendlies that will act as tune-up matches to the Euro 2012 finals as he searches for a starting striker in Rooney's place.
Here are a few more stories from around the soccer world:
SOUTH AFRICA APPEALS AFTER ACN FIASCO
When South Africa played Sierra Leone to a scoreless draw in its final African Cup of Nations qualifying match over the weekend, the Bafana Bafana thought that it had sealed a place in the finals of the tournament. South Africa finished its group level on points with Niger and Sierra Leone, but because of its superior goal differential, the 2010 World Cup hosts celebrated advancing after its draw.
As fate would have it, though, the first tie-breaker was head-to-head results, and not goal differential, meaning that Niger advanced, and South Africa was dealt a bout of embarrassment and an early trip home.
As a result, South Africa has appealed the tiebreaker policy in hopes of securing a place in the finals.
IMPACT KEEP CAMARA
The Montreal Impact have elected to keep Hassoun Camara for their jump to MLS, making him the second player on the club's roster under new coach Jesse Marsch.
Camara, a midfielder for the NASL's Impact this past season, joins Colombian defender Nelson Rivas on the MLS roster. The 27-year-old Frenchman was named the team's MVP in 2011.
EGYPT CANCELS AS HOST OF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
Egypt will no longer be hosting Africa's Olympic qualifying tournament after more unrest and the upcoming political elections forced the nation to ask out of hosting duties.
The tournament, which features Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, is set to begin late next month, with the top three finishers advancing to the Olympic Games in London next summer.
There's been no word yet as to where the tournament will eventually be played.
WORLD CUP BID COSTLY FOR ENGLAND
Failing to secure the rights to host the 2018 World Cup wasn't just costly from a public shame perspective. The Football Association revealed that England's failed bid cost £21 million.
According to the BBC, England's cost-per-vote rate was second-worst to Australia, which spent £28 million for its bid for the 2022 tournament and only received one vote. England received two votes before losing out to Russia.
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Do you think Rooney's suspension should be extended to three games? Can you believe South Africa wasn't aware of the tiebreaker rules? Think it has a case to advance? Think keeping Camara is a good move for Montreal? What do you make of the situation in Egypt?
Share your thoughts below.
