Fifa forced to cancel international clash amid ‘unforeseen circumstances’ with players returning to Premier League
FIFA have been forced to cancel an international match amid “unforeseen circumstances” – sending several Premier League stars back to their clubs early.
The World Cup qualifier between North Korea and Japan on Tuesday March 26 will not be going ahead in Pyongyang.
The Asian Football Confederation was informed by North Korea’s FA of the “need to move the match to a neutral venue due to unavoidable circumstances”.
A report from Kyodo News, via Reuters, claims this was due to “worries about infectious diseases in Japan.”
The two sides met yesterday in Tokyo for the first of their World Cup qualifiers.
Japan won 1-0 thanks to a second-minute goal from Ao Tanaka, who plays for German side Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Japan were then due to jet to North Korea’s capital city for Tuesday’s clash.
The two countries have no formal diplomatic relations.
But Fifa are now scrambling to find a fresh date after the plug was pulled on Pyongyang.
It means Japan’s international break is already over.
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And captain Wataru Endo will now return to Liverpool for their title run-in.
He’s not the only Premier League star in the Japan squad.
Luton’s Daiki Hashioka came off the bench in the first game against North Korea.
Other big names playing for Japan include Sporting Lisbon’s Hidemasa Morita, Celtic’s Daizen Maeda and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo.
There was another familiar face in the ranks too, with ex-Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino also featuring against North Korea on Thursday.
Japan are top of their World Cup qualifying group with three wins from three.
As well as beating North Korea, they have also triumphed against Syria and Myanmar.
However, they endured a disappointing Asian Cup campaign at the start of the year, crashing out in the quarter-finals in a 2-1 defeat to Iran.