AFC asks BFF to consider Afghan position
In a letter sent to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the governing body of Asian football, AFC, asked the BFF to consider the situation of Afghanistan and come to an understanding over the venue of their upcoming World Cup Qualifying fixture.
Bangladesh are scheduled to host Afghanistan on March 25 in Sylhet, however, the Afghans are reluctant to travel to Bangladesh on grounds of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
However, the BFF mentioned they are sticking to their decision of playing the fixture at home, as per the original schedule, and are awaiting a final verdict from AFC on this matter in a couple of days.
"AFC forwarded us the letter they got from Afghanistan Football Association (AFA) and explained why only a handful of fixtures are being played amid the Covid-19 travel restrictions and ban. The AFC also asked us to portray required understanding regarding the matter and also asked for further feedback from BFF," BFF's general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag said today in a video message addressed to the media.
The BFF, however, mentioned that it will be sticking to the decision of playing the fixture with Afghanistan at home.
"We will be sticking to the feedback that we gave earlier -- that we want to avail our home right on March 25. We will send a letter to the AFC mentioning our stance."
The AFC said in a statement earlier that it has been working with member associations grouped together to help them make their own arrangements and play out the remaining games at one centralised venue -- possibly in Qatar or Oman -- during the May 31-June 15 FIFA window, so that the travel restrictions and quarantine issues could be somewhat mitigated.
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