Football

Former Malaysia striker tells FAM to stop worrying about Pyongyang

Former Malaysia player Khalid Ali has reminded everyone to have faith in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) because they will ensure that the 2019 Asian Cup qualifier between North Korea and Malaysia on June 8 will run smoothly without a single problem.

The ex-striker, who was a part of the 1980 Olympic Games national team, has asked the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to completely trust the credibility of AFC.

Khalid Ali completely supported the continental association’s decision to play in Pyongyang.

Photo: FAM

“We have to respect the decision made by AFC because they an an experienced association that have been organizing competitions in Asia for a long time,” he said as quoted by Harian.

“I am positive that AFC conducted numerous reports before approving the venue for the tie.

“The Malaysian and North Korean governments are constantly keeping each other up to date about safety issues. There is no need for everyone else to make a big deal out of it.”

Photo Credit: Harimau Malaysia / Asiana.my

FAM president Tunku Ismail was against the decision to play their opening Asian Cup qualifier in Pyongyang and made a suggestion to AFC to play the fixture in a neutral venue. However, AFC believes that the Malaysian team will not be affected by potential political issues.

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