THE GEORGIAN Football Federation (GFF) and the Football Association of Ireland should, finally, learn today where Saturday week's World Cup qualifier between the nations will be staged, with Fifa due to end the uncertainty surrounding the fixture, created by the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia, by making a decision on the venue for the game following a meeting today.
The Georgians are awaiting a response from Fifa after they sent a letter yesterday to the governing body asking for the game to go ahead, as originally scheduled, in Tbilisi, the country's capital.
They have, though, as requested by Fifa, nominated an alternative venue, with Karlsruhe in Germany now believed to be their choice, after they had initially considered venues in Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan and, later, Krakow (Poland) and Graz (Austria).
With the assistance of their Karlsruhe SC forward Aleksandre Iashvili Georgia have, according to GFF spokesman Aleksandr Tsonbalidze, received a positive response from the Bundesliga club to their request that the Wildparkstadion ground be made available, if required, for the fixture.
The stadium has a capacity of 29,699 but with just 15,237 seats, compared to the 55,000 all-seater capacity of the venue in Tbilisi, the Boris Paichadze National Stadium.
Karlsruhe, which is within easy reach of three airports (Baden-Baden, Frankfurt and Stuttgart), is near the French-German border in the south-west of the country.
Meanwhile, Hector Raul Cuper, the Argentine coach who replaced Klaus Toppmoller as Georgian coach last month and opened his spell in charge with a 2-1 win over Wales in Swansea last week, has named a 26-man squad for the games against the Republic of Ireland and Italy (September 10th).
Eleven of the squad play their football in Georgia, including five from champions Dinamo Tbilisi. The rest are based in Russia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Austria and England. The team is captained by AC Milan's Kakha Kaladze.
Scunthorpe United goalkeeper Joe Murphy and Wolves midfielder Darren Potter have been added to Giovanni Trapattoni's preliminary squad for the qualifying games against Georgia and, four days later, Montenegro, but the Republic of Ireland manager will not finalise his squad until after the weekend's league games.
Damien Duff, who picked up a knee injury in Newcastle's win over Bolton last Saturday, was left out of his club's squad for last night's English League Cup tie against Coventry City, leaving Trapattoni waiting to see if the winger features in his side's Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday.
GEORGIA SQUAD:Goalkeepers: Giorgi Loria (FC Dinamo Tbilisi), Roin Kvaskhvadze (FC Zestafoni, Georgia), Giorgi Makaridze (FC Dinamo Tbilisi); Defenders: Ucha Lobjanidze (FC Zestafoni), Lasha Salukvadze (FC Rubin Kazan, Russia), Mate Gvinianidze (FC Munchen 1860, Germany), Zurab Khizanishvili (Blackburn Rovers); Aleqsandre Kvakhadze (WIT Georgia); Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan); Malkhaz Asatiani (FC Lokomotiv Moskva, Russia); Zaal Eliava (FC Dinamo Tbilisi), Giorgi Shashiashvili (SK Sturm Graz, Austria); Midfielders: Zurab Menteshashvili (FK Ventspils, Latvia), Levan Khmaladze (FC Dinamo Tbilisi), Levan Kobiashvili (FC Schalke 04, Germany), David Mujiri (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Gogita Gogua (FC Spartak Nalchik, Russia), David Odikadze (FC Dinamo Tbilisi), Levan Kenia (FC Schalke 04), Irakli Klimiashvili (WIT Georgia), David Kvirkvelia (FC Rubin Kazan); Forwards: Aleksandre Iashvili (Karlsruhe SC, Germany), Beka Gotsiridze (FC Zestafoni), Levan Mchedlidze (FC Empoli, Italy), David Siradze (FC Spartak Nalchik), Rati Aleksidze (FC Locomotiv Tbilisi).
