Hong Kong Can’t Travel to Tehran: HKFA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hong Kong Football Association president Pui Kwan-kay says that they cannot travel to Tehran to play Iran at the 2022 World Cup Asian qualifier.
The match has been scheduled for March 26 at the Azadi Stadium, however football activities in Asia will likely be postponed due to novel coronavirus fears.
The Hong Kong Football Association is awaiting confirmation from the Asian Football Confederation on new arrangements, but chairman Pui Kwan-kay said it made sense to postpone the qualifiers to later in the year.
“We can’t travel to Tehran for the away match as the government has already announced Hong Kong citizens would need to be in isolation for 14 days after returning, which is not possible for any professional player,” said Pui. “In fact, it’s difficult to identify a neutral ground to play these days because many countries in the region are also affected by the virus."
“But no one knows when the epidemic will subside, so it’s not a bad decision to postpone the qualifiers for seven months. It’s better to play safe, players’ health is always top priority.”
