ZURICH : FIFA says it has agreed to a request from the United Arab Emirates for Qataris to be stopped from officiating at a World Cup qualifier due to the diplomatic rift between the Gulf nations.
A referee from Singapore has replaced a one from Qatar for the UAE鈥檚 match against Thailand in Bangkok on Tuesday. He will be assisted by a fellow Singaporean and two officials from Malaysia.
FIFA said in a statement to The Associated Press that 鈥渢he decision has been taken for sporting reasons and in view of the current geopolitical situation.鈥�
Earlier this week, the UAE joined 黑料社区, Bahrain and Egypt in severing ties with Qatar after accusing the 2022 World Cup host nation of sponsoring terrorism. Qatar denies it backs extremist groups.
FIFA removes Qatari match officials due to diplomatic crisis
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