FIFA Eventually Cancels North Korea-Japan Pyongyang Match

FIFA said on Monday (Korea time) that the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between North Korea and Japan was canceled. "This schedule will not be rescheduled or re-run," adding, "North Korea has not been able to set a new date for the match due to the postponement as well as alternative stadiums." As a result, FIFA sent North Korea to the disciplinary committee, and confirmed that the away match in Pyongyang was Japan's 3-0 forfeiture.

Japan secured 12 points by securing a win without an away match to Pyongyang, and confirmed its advance to the final qualifying round regardless of the results of the remaining two matches of the second qualifying round. On the other hand, as the North suffered forfeiture, it remained in third place with three points (1 win and three losses). There is a possibility that the North will fall to the bottom of the table depending on the results of matches between Syria (four points) and Myanmar (one point).

It became unclear whether the Pyongyang match between North Korea and Japan would take place immediately after the third game between the two teams held in Tokyo on the 21st. According to multiple sources, North Korea claimed that it was impossible to hold the event in its own country due to 'a recent malicious epidemic in Japan. Quarantine measures that are wary of the increasing number of reports in Japan are taking place in Japan'.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed in early March that there were no obstacles to playing the game at Kim Il-sung Stadium through on-site inspection in Pyongyang. However, even in the first round of the Asian qualifying round for the Paris Olympics in February, the Japanese women's soccer team's expedition to Pyongyang failed, and the stadium was changed to the neutral Saudi Arabian Jeddah.

However, in response to North Korea's continued claim, AFC said on its website on the 23rd that the match between North Korea and Japan will not be held as scheduled due to unexpected circumstances, adding that the decision was made after the North was informed on the 20th that the venue should be moved to a neutral area due to unavoidable circumstances. "The issue will be referred to FIFA's relevant committee, and additional information will be delivered as soon as possible," FIFA finally decided to cancel it.

BY: 안전놀이터