Beckenbauer to visit Ghana

The president of the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup will visit the five African nations who have qualified for the World Cup.

Franz Beckenbauer, who is one of only two men to have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach, is undertaking the trip between 13 - 20 January 2006.

Beckenbauer has written to Ghana, Angola, Togo, Tunisia and Ivory Coast, congratulating them on their qualification.

"Mr Beckenbauer has confirmed that he will visit Africa in January," Gerd Graus, a spokesman for the World Cup organising committee, told BBC Sport.

"This is part of his welcome tour of all the countries who have qualified for the World Cup in Germany."

As part of his visit, Beckenbauer will meet the various nations' government officials, football associations and the local media, to discuss plans for their participation in the tournament.

But it is unclear however whether officials and players from the five teams will be in their countries to receive Beckenbauer, as many will be on their way the to African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Beckenbauer has already visited the Asian qualifiers and will pay courtesy calls to the European countries later this month