MEXICO CITY (AP)

A Mexican newspaper's fun campaign inviting home fans to prick voodoo dolls and cast a curse on the United States ahead of next month's World Cup qualifier, lost its US-based sponsor yesterday.

US electronics chain Radio-Shack withdrew as a distribution outlet for the sports daily Record's venture, which included 10,000 dolls.

Promotion

"In their desire to support their national team in the World Cup, our recently acquired operation in Mexico was interested in participating in a promotion created by the Record," RadioShack said in a statement.

"Upon notification of our potential involvement, Radio-Shack Corporation has decided not to participate."

Record marketing manager Daniel Paz said: "It surprises us."

Paz reiterated that the campaign was intended as a "novel and fun" way of elevating the profile of next month's rivalry game and there was no ill will behind it.

He said the promotion will continue and the paper was in talks with businesses interested in taking over as distribution centres.

Mexico have not beaten the US on American soil in 10 years, so on Tuesday the Record began publishing coupons for fans to clip and redeem for a voodoo-doll likeness of a US player. An illustration showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll in a US jersey; the doll grimaced in pain with its arms covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from a USA No 10 jersey stuck with pushpins.

Record said it hoped people would gather around televisions for the February 11 match and "apply punishments to our rivals", giving Mexico an edge to end the decade-long drought.

"Help end the losing streak so Mexico advances," the ad read.

The game in Columbus, Ohio, will open the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Record planned to expand the promotion to include effigies representing the other CONCACAF finalists: Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.