FIFA has awarded Japan a 3-0 victory after North Korea called off a World Cup qualifier match between the two countries which was scheduled to be held in Pyongyang earlier this month.
This was revealed by Japan’s Football Association (JFA) on Saturday.
According to JFA, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee had informed them that the match had been forfeited, which indicates that Japan are guaranteed a top-two finish in their group which also includes Syria and Myanmar.
North Korea decided not to stage the match in Pyongyang due to concerns about infectious diseases in Japan and had asked for the game to be moved to a neutral venue. However, due you lack of dates on the fixtures calender, FIFA said the game could not be rescheduled.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said in a statement, “Although the players lost an important opportunity to play, I see this as a positive step forward,”
“Naturally, we will not be satisfied with this result, but will continue to build up our strength for the national team activities in June, the final qualifying round, and the World Cup.”
