The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Friday that North Korea’s home World Cup qualifier against Japan, scheduled for Tuesday, will not be held in Pyongyang as initially planned. Instead, the match will take place at a neutral venue, with limited time left to finalize arrangements.
AFC General Secretary Windsor John informed AFP that typically, the hosting team nominates the neutral venue. However, in this case, the responsibility fell to the AFC due to the lack of a nomination from the hosting team. The sudden change mirrors a similar decision made last month when the women’s playoff between Japan and North Korea for the Paris Olympics was relocated from Pyongyang to neutral ground in Saudi Arabia.
While the specific reason for the change of venue was not disclosed by the AFC, reports from Japanese news agency Kyodo suggest that North Korea expressed concerns over potential bacterial infections in Japan.
North Korean officials conveyed their decision to their Japanese counterparts during a meeting in Tokyo, following the first qualifier, which Japan won 1-0.
Japan Football Association chief Kozo Tashima expressed surprise at the sudden request, stating that an immediate response wasn’t feasible. Tashima emphasized the need for time to consider the proposition, indicating that a decision would take at least two or three days.
Originally, the match in Pyongyang would have marked Japan’s men’s team’s first visit to North Korea since 2011 and a rare international football event in the country.
Amidst the relocation, Japan’s foreign ministry issued a warning to football fans against traveling to North Korea for the match, citing the strained relations between the two countries. The ministry emphasized North Korea’s hostile stance towards Japan, discouraging travel for the general public.
The match relocation adds another chapter to the complex relationship between Japan and North Korea, characterized by historical grievances and geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, football serves as a platform for international engagement, albeit with occasional disruptions like the relocation of this crucial World Cup qualifier.
