Senegal travel to Taiwan

Diouf (l) and Cisse arrive in Taiwan

Senegal's World Cup squad are rounding off their tour to the Far East with a diplomatic visit to Taiwan.

The team, whose World Cup dream came to an end on Saturday with defeat in the quarter final against Turkey, arrived in Taipei early on Sunday to a heroes' welcome.

The trip had come as a surprise to some players who had expected to return to Dakar straight after their World Cup exit.

But the players, who lit up the World Cup tournament with their free-flowing football, were surrounded by autograph-hunting fans as they arrived at Chiang Kai-shek.

Team officials then signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan on football co-operation.

The players were expected to play in a friendly match on Monday against a local side before having an audience with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.

However it is now unclear whether the match will go ahead as coach Bruno Metsu has said that his players need a rest after their World Cup heroics.

Taiwan and Senegal sign a memo of understanding

"I don't think we will play a game," Sylvain Ndiaye told BBC Sport Online.

"The coach thinks we are too tired and we need a rest after the World Cup."

The chairman of Taiwan's National Council for Sport and Physical Fitness, Lin Teh-fu, signed the co-operation agreement with Senegal sports minister Joseph Ndong at Taiwan's Foreign Ministry.

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," foreign ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yue said.

In his second trip to Africa, Chen will also visit Sao Tome and Principe, Malawi and Swaziland starting on 28 June.