Vietnam won’t have to meet Malaysia on March 31 when all matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia have been postponed due to the Covid-19 epidemic. — Photo vietgiaitri.vn

The match was set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on March 31 but instead appears likely to take place later this year, with the June 4 home match against Indonesia suffering the same fate.

The Indonesia Football Federation announced on its website that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) postponed the second round of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers due to the outbreak. The March matches have been changed to October and the June matches to November.

The decision was reportedly reached at a meeting between the AFC and the Southeast Asian member federations in Kuala Lumpur on March 2, though no official AFC announcement has been made as yet.

With the novel coronavirus spreading, football matches have been postponed around the world.

Earlier, FIFA chairman Gianni Infantino was reported by the Daily Mail as saying human health was the most important consideration and he would not rule out any possibility. He added FIFA needed to observe the situation closely and governments and related organisations would be in charge.

Vietnam currently lead their World Cup qualifying group on 11 points after five matches, two points ahead of Malaysia.

While a postponement would disappoint fans, getting extra time off could help Park Hang-seo's squad recover from a defensive injury crisis. — VNS

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