Colombia facing Copa ban

Relatives mourn the death of a murdered journalist

Colombia may lose the right to host this year's Copa America amid growing security concerns.

Two sports journalists have been murdered in the last week and two members of a first division football team were injured in a car bomb blast on Friday.

South American Football Confederation (CSF) officials have said that the recent spate of violence has added to existing worries about bumpy pitches and decrepit stadia.

The event, which will feature the 10 South American teams plus Mexico and Canada, is due to take place in July.

If Colombia does not show that it is ready to host this competition we will probably be obliged to rethink this situation

  CSF official Romel Osuna

But rumours are already circulating that it could be switched to Brazil - just as the 1986 World Cup was moved from Colombia to Mexico after the Colombians said they could no longer host it.

"If conditions are favourable, the competition will go ahead," said Romel Osuna, president of the CSF's executive committee.

"If Colombia does not show that it is ready to host this competition, this continental soccer event, we will probably be obliged to rethink this situation."

Osuna said that a CSF delegation will visit the country at the end of the week to assess facilities and security, but no deadline has been set for a final decision.

Should Colombia lose the right to host the Copa America, it would be a major blow for the country, who are also struggling to qualify for the World Cup 2002.

Two players were njured in a Cali car bomb blast

Their coach Luis Augusto Garcia resigned on Monday after the national football association voted 3-2 not to support him.

But former Colombia coach Francisco Maturana, who guided the South American nation to two World Cup tournaments, has agreed to step in.

"My goal is to help the team qualify for the World Cup and dream about winning the Copa America," Maturana said.

The 52-year-old is credited for revolutionising Colombian football in the 1980s and turning the country into one of the strongest footballing nations in Latin America.

Maturana takes over his old job as Colombia coach

However, his recent forays into national team coaching have not been very successful.

Maturana failed in his quest to take Ecuador to the 1998 World Cup in France and was sacked by Peru after a poor run of results.

And he will face a tough first game in charge when Colombia take on group leaders Argentina on 3 June.