KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – The Palestine football team has pulled out of a tournament in Malaysia, the Southeast Asian nation’s football association said Tuesday, citing the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants.
“The Palestinian team had to withdraw from participating… because they could not fly to Kuala Lumpur due to the tense situation… at the moment,” the Malaysian football association said in a statement.
The team was due to play in the Merdeka Cup friendly tournament in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, but the opening match against Tajikistan set for Friday has been cancelled.
The cup, which runs until October 17, will now feature only three teams with Tajikistan, who will get a bye to the final, joined by Malaysia and India.
The Palestine team is due to play qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup against Australia and Lebanon next month.
It has also qualified for the regional Asian Cup tournament in Qatar, which begins in January.
