Soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, has cancelled a World Cup qualifier between Japan and North Korea which was scheduled to be played on 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. 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 in infectious diseases in Japan.
