Nigerians have other cup under lock and key

Nigeria are officially favourites for the World Cup. Not the one in Japan and Korea, but Thailand. Ten days after the action kicks off in Seoul, a mock tournament starts two time-zones away. It's all taking place in a Bangkok jail, home to 6,300 prisoners drawn from 50 countries. "The Nigerian team are favourites because they have a lot of players and have been practising a lot," a spokesman for the Corrections Department said. More than 1,300 inmates are foreigners, including 132 Nigerians.

According to the Bank of Scotland, who researched this, fans will spend an average of £64.82 in the pub should England make it to the final. They found that each person would spend £9.26 per game, allowing for three pints of lager, a snack and a drink afterwards. Should you need a pub to visit, www.sportspubs.co.uk is your website address. About 300 pubs are ranked in terms of atmosphere, beer price and screen size. Simply select a geographical area and the site provides a list of pubs to visit.

In the week England banned 1,007 hooligans from going to Japan, with Cardiff (112) leading the list from Stoke City (98), the British Embassy in Tokyo tried to allay fears of rampaging fans. "They will drink and sing and may become noisy, but they are not out to tear down shops and be violent," said minister Stuart Jack. The Embassy has printed leaflets urging shopkeepers to try to communicate with fans, and in addition to phrases like "Welcome" and "Can I help you?" it recommends trying: "England are a great team".

Dennis Bergkamp would relate to activities in the Russian camp, where players have objected to their travel plans. "The team are used to flying non-stop and the players are both very superstitious and sensitive about such things like where they sit," Vladimir Rodionov of the Russian federation said on plans to stop over in Khabarovsk. However, an oil company's incentive might appease them. A £60,000 Porsche is on offer to the best player from each match won. Their group includes Japan, Belgium and Tunisia.

The Japan coach, Philippe Troussier, left out the hugely popular Yokohama playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura from his final squad on Friday – and then left his staff to face the media grilling. The Frenchman insisted on being in Paris to watch France play Belgium instead. Radio stations' lines were jammed as the public vented their anger. Troussier is no stranger to controversy: at the last World Cup he sent home two South African players for breaking a curfew, only to get the sack himself on his return.

A teenage Bangladeshi fan died last week while trying to hoist the Argentinian flag on the roof of a three-storey building. Hasan Ahmed, 15, fell as he tried to tie the flag to a pole on the roof of his neighbour's house. Ahmed ran an Argentinian fan club of about 30 members.