The Japanese and North Korean men's national teams will not play each other in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday as scheduled, the Asian Football Confederation has announced.
The Asian Group B game, originally slated for Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Stadium, "will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances," the AFC said Friday in a press release.
"The decision, taken in consultation with FIFA and relevant stakeholders, comes after the AFC was informed on March 20 by the DPR Korea Football Association of the need to move the match to a neutral venue due to unavoidable circumstances," it said.
"The matter will now be referred to the relevant committees in FIFA with further updates to be communicated in due course."
The announcement came a day after Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in the first Group B meeting between the teams at Tokyo's National Stadium.
Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima said immediately after Thursday's game that North Korea would no longer host the return fixture and had explored the possibility of holding it in Japan.
The JFA, however, told its North Korean counterparts that arrangements to relocate the game to Japan could not be made at such short notice.
North Korean authorities had apparently expressed concern about a rising number of reported fulminant hemolytic streptococcal infection cases in Japan before pulling out of hosting the match.
The Samurai Blue had planned to arrive in Pyongyang on Monday after training in Beijing.
Manager Hajime Moriyasu and the Samurai Blue squad held a practice Friday in Chiba near Tokyo before going their separate ways.
"We lost an opportunity to make improvements from the previous match and use several of our players in the next game, which is a shame," Moriyasu said.
An Olympic women's football qualifier last month between Japan and North Korea was moved from Pyongyang to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, just three days ahead of the match after the JFA expressed concerns to the AFC about a range of issues, including a lack of transparency surrounding match operations.
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