An assessment report on Japan manager Philippe Troussier's performance will be submitted to Japan Football Association president Shunichiro Okano on Thursday morning, Kunishige Kamamoto, a vice president and chief of the JFA technical development department, said Wednesday.

In a 90-minute meeting held at JFA headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon, Kamamoto and six other members of the technical development department discussed Troussier's performance as Japan manager since the Frenchman took the helm in September 1998.

Top officials of the JFA technical development department initially planned to release Troussier as early as the end of this month and hire a replacement for one year while waiting for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to take over in June 2001.

But the panel seemingly failed to reach a unified opinion at Wednesday's meeting, with some members supporting Troussier and others calling for his ouster.

The report will include the opinions of each of the panel members but won't state whether the JFA should keep Troussier and won't deal with potential candidates as next Japan manager, Kamamoto explained.

Top officials of the JFA are expected to make a decision on Troussier's fate some time before bringing the issue to a JFA board meeting May 25 to receive formal approval from the board members.

Hwang joins Reysol

KASHIWA (Kyodo) South Korean striker Hwang Sun Hong has signed for Nabisco Cup holder Kashiwa Reysol in a two-way deal, officials of the J. League First Division club confirmed Wednesday.

Hwang, 31, who scored a league-best 24 goals for Cerezo Osaka in 1999 and has been playing for South Korean side Suwon Bluewings this season, joins Kashiwa while Yugoslav forward Drakulic Sasa will return to the K. League club as part of the agreement.

Hwang signed a seven-month deal through Jan. 1.

SKY wins rights

Digital satellite broadcaster SKYPerfecTV has attained the domestic television rights for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, industry sources said Tuesday.

SKYPerfecTV, an operation of Japan Digital Broadcasting Services Inc., will become the first communications satellite broadcaster in Japan to acquire the rights to the World Cup soccer finals.

However, in line with the FIFA demand that the World Cup should be available to the widest possible audience, the public Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) and commercial Japanese terrestrial channels will reportedly negotiate with SKYPerfecTV for a share of the domestic coverage.