The Asian Football Confedaration has postponed Bangladesh national football team's next four group matches of the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup Round 2 Preliminary Joint Qualifiers in March and June due to coronavirus fears.
Bangladesh are scheduled to host Afghanistan on March 26, India on June 4 and Oman on June 9 while slatted to play away against Qatar on March 31. All matches are postponed for the time being.
"AFC has consulted with FIFA and collectively agreed to postpone the upcoming matches of the Preliminary Joint Qualifiers
Round 2 originally scheduled to take place in March and June 2020 are postponed to later dates. Fifa and Afc will discuss further details of the postponed matches and communicate to the PMAs [Participating Member Associations] in due course." stated a letter sent by the AFC to its member associations on Monday.
Update on upcoming @FIFAWorldCup qualifiers - https://t.co/5Kd4TQX5RT
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) March 9, 2020
The letter added, "PMAs may still play the matches upon mutual agreement, provided the safety and health concerns of all individuals involved meet the required standards, subject to prior approval by Fifa and Afc."
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) decided in principle to agree with the AFC proposals due to health and safety concern.
"We talked to all concerned authorities of BFF regarding the matter and decided to agree to the proposal as Bangladesh also found people affected by coronavirus." said Abu Nayeem Shohag, the general secretary of BFF, in am impromptu press conference upon receiving the AFC letter.
Bangladesh's away game against Qatar was potentially postponed three days ago after Qatar government banned the entry of people arriving from 14 countries, including Bangladesh, as precaution against coronavirus.
