Senegal and Taiwan sign soccer cooperation accord (24.06.2002)
TAIPEI
Senegal and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding on soccer cooperation after the Senegalese World Cup team arrived here on Sunday to play a friendly match.
After arriving at Chiang Kai-shek airport, the Senegalese team, who lit up the tournament with free-flowing, attacking play, were surrounded by Taiwanese soccer fans requesting autographs.
The Senegalese players were to meet with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and then play a friendly match in Taipei Monday.
Lin Teh-fu, chairman of the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, inked the cooperation agreement on behalf of Taipei at Taiwan`s foreign ministry while Senegal was represented by its sports minister Joseph Ndong.
A handful of the Senegalese players and Senegal`s Ambassador to Taipei Adama Sarr and Taiwanese Foreign Minister Eugene Chien all took part in the ceremony.
The team defeated reigning champions
France in the opening game in Seoul on May 31 and made it through to the last eight in their first ever participation in a World Cup.
But their dream of becoming the African side to reach the last four was shattered when they lost to a well-organised Turkish team in extra-time on Saturday in Osaka.
Senegal is one of 28 countries which recognise Taiwan instead of China, which views the island as part of its territory to be reunified since their split in 1949.
Chen is to donate 360 footballs and 100 pairs of gloves for goalkeepers in Senegal when he visits the capital, Dakar, later this month.
"Football will be one of the topics to be discussed when the president travels to Senegal," the first leg of Chen`s 12-day state visit, foreign ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yue said.
In his second trip to Afria, Chen will also visit Sao Tome and Principe, Malawi and Swaziland starting on June 28.
