Qatar’s international match against New Zealand was canceled early due to a scandal
Qatar and New Zealand met in a friendly match on Monday. Things remained cordial for only a short time.
The football test match between Qatar and New Zealand in the Austrian capital, Vienna, was canceled at halftime. It is said that the reason for this was a scandal on the field. New Zealand international Michael Boxall was said to have been racially abused by an opponent in the first half.
The New Zealanders then decided not to return to the field for the second half. The match ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of the “Kiwi”.
“No one can understand that”
Qatar coach Carlos Queiroz gave Al Kass TV some insight into what happened in relation to the match being stopped: “At the end of the first half, the New Zealand captain came up to us unexpectedly and said they had decided not to return to the pitch.” “.
Queiroz was only partially aware of the on-pitch altercation between Boxall and the Qatar player: “Two players exchanged words on the pitch. Only the two know who started and who reacted. The New Zealand players decided to support their team.” The player and our players decided to support their teammate. (…) They decided to leave the match. There were no witnesses, and the referee and bench did not hear. “This is a new chapter in football that no one can understand.”
The New Zealand Federation, in turn, announced via Twitter that the team had decided to cancel due to the inaction of neutral parties – likely including the referees team.
What will happen next remains unclear: “This case will certainly be investigated by FIFA,” Queiroz said. The 70-year-old has only been coach of the Qatar national team since the beginning of the year. He was still playing for Iran in the World Cup last winter.
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