After what has been a memorable year in their club and international careers, Richard Dunne and Robbie Keane are among those to be shortlisted for honours at next month's FAI International Awards which are, for the first time, sponsored by Eircom.

The pair are in contention, along with Sunderland's Kevin Kilbane, for the Young Player award, which has been won in the past by a string of players who went on to establish themselves as prominent senior internationals for the Republic, including Steve Staunton, Terry Phelan and Shay Given.

Two previous winners of the Young Player award, Niall Quinn and Roy Keane, are in the running for this year's senior prize, while Mark Kinsella's remarkable consistency for his country over the past 12 months has earned him a nomination.

While Quinn has equalled Frank Stapleton's senior scoring record this year and Roy Keane has produced some of the best performances of his career in a green jersey, the fact that Kinsella has made the list is a tribute in itself to the Charlton midfielder who has made a tremendous impact at this level since breaking into Mick McCarthy's team just two-and-a-half year's ago.

The awards will be presented at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on November 12th, three nights before Ireland's friendly international against Finland.

Pele, former FIFA president Joao Havelange and ex-Brazilian national soccer coach Wanderley Luxemburgo are among leading Brazilian sporting figures who will be called to give evidence before a parliamentary probe into fraud in Brazilian football. Two inquiries, one before the senate and the second before the parliament, will investigate whether alleged fraud occurred during transfers such as that of star players Ronaldo of Inter Milan and Romario and irregularities in contracts signed with sports company Nike running into $400 million.