Wataru Endo is returning to Liverpool early, but not because of injury.
The second leg of Japan’s World Cup qualifier against North Korea at the Kim Il-sung stadium in Pyongyang on Tuesday has been postponed.
The Asian Football Confederation announced on Friday that the fixture “will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances.
“The decision, taken in consultation with FIFA and relevant stakeholders, comes after the AFC was informed on March 20 by the DPR Korea Football Association of the need to move the match to a neutral venue due to unavoidable circumstances.”
Japan won the first leg 1-0 on Thursday, but it is not now known when the return game will be played. The AFC said it would be left to the relevant Fifa committees to decide on the fixture’s future.
There are claims that North Korean media reports about a “malignant infectious disease” in Japan (group A streptococcal disease, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome – STSS), but this is unconfirmed.
