- With the unexpected postponement of the World Cup qualifier in North Korea, Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda may make an early return from his international duties with Japan.
Ao Tanaka, a midfielder for Fortuna Düsseldorf, scored the game’s first goal in the second minute to lead Japan to a 1-0 victory at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Thursday. Maeda played the entire 90 minutes in the match.
The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed that the game will not take place owing to “unforeseen circumstances” after North Korea requested the match be shifted to a neutral venue. The reverse matchup was originally slated to take place in Pyongyang on Tuesday, March 26.
According to reports, North Korea declined to hold the game because of worries about infectious diseases in Japan. The last time North Korea staged a men’s international in Pyongyang was in 2019 as part of their qualification for the World Cup in 2022. However, the nation withdrew from the competition because of worries about the Covid epidemic.
The AFC has sent the issue to the “relevant committees” within FIFA; no decision has been made on the potential rescheduling of the match for a later time or location. More information is anticipated. Maeda was the only member of Celtic’s Japanese delegation to be called up for the two games. As a result, he will be able to return to Glasgow far sooner than anticipated in time for the Scottish Premiership away at Livingston on Saturday, March 31.
The following was stated in an AFC statement: “Unforeseen circumstances will prevent the scheduled match between DPR Korea and Japan for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Group B and FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 on March 26, 2024.
The DPR Korea Football Association notified the AFC on March 20 that the match had to be moved to a neutral location owing to unforeseen circumstances. FIFA and pertinent stakeholders were consulted in making this decision. “Football’s relevant Committees will now take up the matter, and additional updates will be shared in due course.”
