[Yonhap News Photo]
The upcoming World Cup qualifying match between South Korea and Syria has been moved to Malaysia, the national football governing body said Thursday.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the match has been tentatively set for 9 p.m. kickoff (South Korean time) next Tuesday at Pario Stadium in Seremban, in the southeastern part of Malaysia. The KFA said the starting time is subject to change.
Mired in a civil war for years, Syria are being forced to play their home matches at neutral sites during the final Asian qualification round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Syria first picked Beirut, Lebanon, but switched to Macau on Aug. 23, citing security concerns. Then on Wednesday, the KFA said talks between Syria and Macau over hosting the match fell through, likely due to financial reasons.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) stepped in and settled on Malaysia, where it is headquartered. South Korea will first face China later Thursday in Seoul to open the final round.
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
