DHAKA, March 9, 2020 (BSS)- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in consultation with FIFA, has postponed the Asian World Cup qualifying matches
in March and June due to the outbreak of the corona virus, according to a AFC statement received by Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) today.
The AFC statement said that they have taken note of issues and various
travel restrictions affecting the smooth delivery of upcoming preliminary
joint qualifiers second-round matches scheduled to be played in March and
June 2020.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play their World Cup qualifying matches against
Afghanistan on March 26 in Sylhet, March 31 against Qatar in Doha, June 4
against India in Dhaka and June 9 against Oman in Dhaka.
“Following discussions with several participating member associations
(PMAs) of the ongoing emergency meeting recently organised for the calendar
for national and club competitions, AFC has consulted with FIFA and
collectively agreed to postpone the upcoming matches of the preliminary joint
qualifier Round 2,” the AFC statement said.
However, participating member associations may still play matches in March
or June upon mutual agreement, provided that the safety and health concerns
of all individuals involved meet the required standards, subject to prior
approval by FIFA and AFC, the statement further read.