Macau players slam FA after officials pull out of World Cup qualifier in Sri Lanka citing safety
- Macau set to withdraw from tournament following a first World Cup Qualifying win in almost 20 years
- MFA cites security concerns in decision not to travel to Sri Lanka
The decision also sparked a rebuke from Sri Lanka’s football authorities who insisted the country was safe for international matches and that their team had a right to play on home soil.
Macau had been due to play Sri Lanka on Tuesday in the second leg of a qualifying first-round clash.
But in a statement the Macau Football Association (MFA) said it had decided not to send a team “due to the recent terrorist attack in Sri Lanka and for the sake of the team’s personal safety”.
Later on Sunday, a group of Macau national team players released a joint statement saying they would travel to Sri Lanka independently of the FA if the decision was not reversed.
A meeting between the Sri Lankan and Macanese football associations is due to take place on Monday. If no Macau representative appears, they will forfeit the tie.