Homely touch can serve up Cup advantage on a plate

HAMBURG, June 9 (Reuters) They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach and that certainly seems to be the case for some players at the World Cup.

Mexico's players love their tortillas so much that they brought their own to Germany while the Ivory Coast have asked their mothers to cook for them.

The Mexican and Ivorians are the latest teams to highlight their culinary desires during the finals, after the hotel hosting the Czech Republic confirmed they hired a Czech chef so the players could dine on authentic ''knedliky'' or dumplings.

Mexico enjoy eating tortillas so much, their team hotel ran out out of chili peppers and one of the staff had to search long and hard to make sure he returned with the right ones.

''Everybody can make tortillas, but not everybody can make them the Mexican way,'' a spokesman for Mexican football association said.

SPECIAL MENUS Feeling at home is crucial to just about every player at the finals with many hotels putting on special menus, events and even hiring pool tables, computer games and special satelite television to occupy the players' time.

The Ivory Coast have taken it so seriously that they have asked the players' parents to help out.

''Our parents have come together, my mother is in charge of them, and they organise everything for us off the pitch,'' Didier Drogba said.

''They cook for us and make sure we are looked after.'' REUTERS PR VC0010