World Cup qualifiers: North Korea v Japan match in Pyongyang called off because of ‘unforeseen circumstances’
- Decision came after talks with world football governing body Fifa and North Korea saying they would not be able to stage the game in the capital
- Asian Football Confederation, which earlier said the March 26 match would be moved to a neutral venue, could not confirm if it will be played at all
North Korea’s home World Cup qualifier against Japan was called off on Friday, the Asian Football Confederation said, hours after announcing it would be moved to a neutral venue.
“The fixture between DPR Korea and Japan, scheduled to be played on March 26, will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances,” the AFC said in a statement.
It said the decision was taken after talks with world football governing body Fifa and came a day after North Korea said it would not be able to stage the game in the capital, Pyongyang.
North Korean officials did not say why.
The AFC said the matter would now be referred to “the relevant committees” in Fifa, with further updates expected.
It did not confirm whether the fixture would be played at a future time or place.