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Japan look set to reach the final stage of their 2026 World Cup qualification without kicking a ball after FIFA announced that matches in North Korea will not be postponed.
North Korea was scheduled to hold a qualifying match in the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday, but five days before the match, officials suddenly announced that the isolated country could not play as host without providing a reason.
On Friday, the Asian Football Confederation announced the cancellation of the match, and over the weekend, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) announced that “the match will not take place and the schedule will not be rescheduled”, citing a lack of space on the international football calendar.
“The matter and the match result will be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee,” soccer’s world governing body added.
As a result, North Korea may suffer a 3-0 bye, and Japan will be eliminated from the third stage of the World Cup qualification, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Japan defeated North Korea 1-0 in Tokyo on Thursday, taking their lead in Group B of the Asian qualifiers to three wins in three matches.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu, who led Japan to the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup with wins over Spain and Germany, looked to the match against North Korea as an opportunity for improvement after an unsatisfactory home match.
“It is unfortunate that we lost the opportunity to correct the concerns and areas for improvement that were identified,” he said Friday.
“We want to build on what we have accumulated so far and aim to improve as a team.”
Despite entering the tournament as favorites last month, Japan lost 2-1 to Iran in the Asian Cup quarterfinals.
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