IF ONLY for a few more hundred feet, Jamaica and many of its counterparts in the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Associations of Football (CONCACAF), would be tackling Mexico on a level playing field in future FIFA internationals.

On Sunday, FIFA president Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter announced a ban on grounds above 2,500 metres for all future inter-nationals.

For years, and sadly more to come, these countries have had to, and will continue to tackle Mexico in away FIFA matches at the Azteca Stadium (alternatively known as the Coloso de Santa rsula), where the country hosts its senior internationals. But alas, Mexico hosts junior internationals in Guadalajara (1,589 metres above sea level) and Monterrey (538 metres above).

Affects other countries

At the Azteca, visiting teams have to deal with its dreaded hig problem at 2,240 metres above sea, plus the proven class of the Mexicans, who have a steeped tradition in the sport. Among other things, they were twice World Cup Finals hosts in 1970 and 1986 when Diego Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' goal of the century in Argentina's 2-1 win over England, which rallied strongly on a late John Barnes' inclusion as sub for near 15 minutes.

The ban instituted by FIFA on Sunday affects a number of South American countries whose play was developed on the plateaus of largely hilly countries by the Mayan, Incan and Aztec Indians, especially Bolivia, which stages its internationals at hig stadiums - that they have aplenty - including one at La Paz, which is above 3,600 metres.

Peru also has stadiums above 3,000 metres, while there are stadiums in Quito, Ecuador and Bogota, Colombia, which are above 2,600 metres.

Blatter says the decision was based on the recommendation of FIFA's medical committee, saying they "... have decided to act because to play at above tha is not healthy or fair".

After several of its players were oxygenated at half-time in a game at nearly 4,000 metres against Bolivian team Real Potosi earlier this year, noted Brazilian club Flamengo said it would not play at hig again.

Results in FIFA internationals strongly reflect the disadvantages faced by visiting teams under such conditions. For instance, Brazil were beaten 3-1 by Bolivia at La Paz on November 7, 2001 in the World Cup 2002 preliminaries. In the return-leg less than two months later (January 31, 2002) in Brazil, Bolivia were thrashed 6-0.

Responding to the FIFA stipulation, Bolivia president Evo Morales vowed to lead an international campaign, saying it amounts to discrimination.

However, for the very same reasons - health and fair play - that FIFA has decided to outlaw the high-altitude stadiums, Jamaica and many of its CONCACAF member countries, especially those from this largely flatland Caribbean, should be screaming to get that limitation below 2,000 metres.

This would eliminate many of these teams' great problems of playing Mexico in the rarified air of the Azteca, which poses a significant disadvantage.

In October 1996, when Jamaica played Mexico in semi-final round World Cup qualifying at the Azteca, central defender Linval Dixon had to be oxygenated, then substituted at the half due to breathing problems, and goalkeeper Warren Barrett, among other players, also had to be oxygenated. Ironically, Jamaica got its best result ever in Mexico then, losing 2-1. Jamaica duly won the return match 1-0 in Kingston in November.

Lopsided fixtures

Other home-and-away fixtures between the teams have been most lopsided, however, dating back to May, 1965 when Jamaica led 2-1 at the National Stadium at half-time in Kingston, only to end up losing 3-2 at full time. Four days later, in the return match at the Azteca - which was built to host football matches for the 1968 Olympics, Mexico slammed Jamaica 8-0.

InNovember 1997, the teams drew goalless in CONCACAF final round World Cup qualifying in Kingston, but when they went to Mexico for the return match they were pummeled 6-0, even though the team went to Mexico early to get acclimatised.

On that trip, Jamaica played Mexican club team Toluca, whose stadium is 2,680 metres above sea level, having to spend vast sums of money for well over two weeks camping, money that could have been saved by arriving two to three days ahead of a match in a place withou problems.

Scoring disparities in World Cup qualifying for 2002 and 2006 were no different, Jamaica losing 2-1 (September 1, 2001) in Kingston and 4-0 (March 1, 2001) at the Azteca, then 5-0 at the Azteca in August 2003.

In fact, the first and only time a CONCACAF team ever managed to beat Mexico at the Azteca was Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying on June 6, 2001, a statistic that - despite Mexico's undeniable class - many will agree could have been so different had competition been on a playfield several hundred yards closer to sea level.

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