North Korea has reportedly canceled a soccer World Cup qualifier recreation it was internet hosting with former colonizer Japan, after dropping to its jap neighbor on Thursday.
Japan beat North Korea 1-0 within the second spherical of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The sport was held in Tokyo.
What did Pyongyang say?
After the sport, the top of Japan’s soccer affiliation, Kozo Tashima, instructed Tokyo-based Kyodo information that Pyongyang canceled subsequent Tuesday’s qualifier, which was scheduled to be held within the North Korean capital.
North Korea was involved by “a malignant infectious illness” in Japan, an obvious reference to rising instances of streptococcus infections, Kyodo mentioned.
Tashima instructed Kyodo that North Korean officers had requested him throughout half time whether or not Japan might host Tuesday’s match as a substitute, however that he had replied that he was undecided at such brief discover. The sport is more likely to both be rescheduled or relocated or each.
Japan received Thursday’s recreation after midfielder Ao Tanaka scored quickly after the kickoff, with the aspect sustaining its 1-0 lead for the rest of the sport.
North Korea was cheered by a small group of red-shirted followers within the Tokyo stadium.
“We needed to offer our followers a very good end result and we’re sorry we couldn’t nevertheless it was a very good recreation,” North Korea coach Sin Yong Nam mentioned.
Asia’s computerized allocation on the World Cup has elevated from 4 to eight groups.
North Korea had not hosted a males’s worldwide soccer match since 2019, earlier than the COVID pandemic. It pulled out of the qualification course of for the 2022 World Cup citing issues in regards to the pandemic. However even throughout extra regular instances, it was not unusual for North Korea to play a few of its dwelling video games in different international locations.
rmt/msh (AFP, AP)
