Mohammed Ben Hammam of Qatar, speaking on his return to Doha from the `runaway' Congress as Fifa president Sepp Blatter had described it, stressed that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) would carry out its threatened non-show in the next World Cup if an extra fifth berth was not forthcoming.

Ben Hammam, who on Friday resigned from Fifa's technical committee, said: ``The AFC will not go back on its decision until the fifth place which has been given to South America is restored to us.''

His comments came 24 hours after the Saudi Football Federation (FSF) had proposed staging an extraordinary meeting of the AFC general assembly to iron out the row.

``Fifa's decision (not to award a fifth place to Asia) is unfair on the Asian continent which groups 45 national federations,'' said the head of the Saudi delegation at the Fifacongress, Saleh Ahmed Ben Nasser.

European federation, UEFA offered that a European side play-off with an Asian team for the last berth but the AFC rejected the compromise formula.Following Friday's walkout, a furious Blatter threatened to punish the AFC, calling their action a disgrace.

He vowed that football's world governing body would not give in to pressure to award an extra place for the 2002 Finals which will be hosted jointly by Japan and South Korea.