Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, has canceled a World Cup qualifier between Japan and North Korea that was scheduled for Tuesday in Pyongyang.
FIFA announced the decision on its website on Saturday, saying it made the decision in the absence of an alternative venue confirmed by North Korea and the lack of space in the calendar to postpone this game.
It added, "the matter and match outcome will be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee."
The announcement followed a notification by the North that it could no longer host the match.
The Asian Football Confederation had said on Friday that the match would not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Sources say that North Korea appeared to be concerned about a rise of infectious diseases in Japan.
On Thursday, Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in their first qualifier in Tokyo.
Japan is set to play Myanmar and Syria in June in the second round Group B of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Japan leads their group so far with 3 wins and no losses.
FIFA announced the decision on its website on Saturday, saying it made the decision in the absence of an alternative venue confirmed by North Korea and the lack of space in the calendar to postpone this game.
It added, "the matter and match outcome will be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee."
The announcement followed a notification by the North that it could no longer host the match.
The Asian Football Confederation had said on Friday that the match would not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Sources say that North Korea appeared to be concerned about a rise of infectious diseases in Japan.
On Thursday, Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in their first qualifier in Tokyo.
Japan is set to play Myanmar and Syria in June in the second round Group B of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Japan leads their group so far with 3 wins and no losses.
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Summary
FIFA cancelled the World Cup qualifier between Japan and North Korea, originally scheduled for Tuesday in Pyongyang, due to lack of a confirmed alternative venue and calendar space. The decision was made following North Korea's notification that they could no longer host the match. Sources suggest
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ID: cf7b3469-f149-4879-83e9-62b139fefea8
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240324_11/
Date: March 24, 2024
Created: 2024/03/24 19:00
Updated: 2025/12/08 16:03
Last Read: 2024/03/25 10:38