FIFA forced to cancel international match due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’

FIFA has been forced to cancel an international match due to “unforeseen circumstances”, resulting in several Premier League stars being sent back to their clubs early.

The World Cup qualifier between North Korea and Japan on Tuesday, March 26, will not take place in Pyongyang.

The Asian Football Federation was informed by the North Korea FA of the “need to move the match to a neutral venue due to unavoidable circumstances.”

A report from Kyodo News, via Reutersclaims this was due to “concerns about infectious diseases in Japan.”

The two sides met in Tokyo yesterday for the first of their World Cup qualifiers.

Japan won 1-0 thanks to a goal in the second minute by Ao Tanaka, who plays for German side Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Japan was then scheduled to fly to North Korea’s capital for Tuesday’s match.

The two countries have no formal diplomatic relations.

But FIFA is now trying to find a new date after the plug was pulled on Pyongyang.

It means that Japan’s international breakthrough is already over.

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And captain Wataru Endo now returns to Liverpool for their title challenge.

He is not the only Premier League star in the Japanese squad.

Luton’s Daiki Hashioka came off the bench in the first match against North Korea.

Other big names playing for Japan include Sporting Lisbon’s Hidemasa Morita, Celtic’s Daizen Maeda and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo.

There was also another familiar face in the ranks: ex-Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino also played against North Korea on Thursday.

Japan currently top the World Cup qualifying group with three wins from three.

In addition to defeating North Korea, they have also triumphed against Syria and Myanmar.

However, they had a disappointing Asian Cup campaign early this year, crashing out in the quarter-finals in a 2-1 defeat to Iran.