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North Korea’s home World Cup qualifier against Japan on Tuesday will be played at a neutral venue instead of Pyongyang, the Asian Football Confederation announced four days before the game.
AFC general secretary Windsor John told AFP on Friday, “Normally it’s the responsibility of the hosting team to nominate the neutral venue, failing which the AFC will have to nominate.
John confirmed that the match will still happen on Tuesday as scheduled, leaving little time to find a venue.
The women’s Olympic qualifying match between North Korea and Japan was moved from Pyongyang to neutral ground in Saudi Arabia last month.
John did not explain why the game in the North Korean capital on Tuesday would not go as scheduled.
North Korea, however, refused to host the game because of concerns about bacterial infections in Japan, according to a report released on Thursday by the Japanese news agency Kyodo.
On Thursday, North Korean officials informed their Japanese counterparts that they could not play host, but they did not provide an explanation.
“They asked us during half-time if we can organise (it) in Japan,” Japan Football Association chief Kozo Tashima stated after both teams clashed in a first qualifier in Tokyo, which the hosts won 1-0.
“I told them it was so sudden and that I cannot give them an immediate yes,” Tashima said, as per Japanese media. “I told them it will take us at least two or three days (to answer). I told them it’s difficult,” he said.
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