FIFA postpone Pakistan World Cup qualifier

Mar 17, 2015

World football's governing body FIFA on Monday took the decision to postpone the 2018 World Cup qualifier between Pakistan and Yemen due to be played on Tuesday, a FIFA spokesman told AFP.

ZURICH - World football's governing body FIFA on Monday took the decision to postpone the 2018 World Cup qualifier between Pakistan and Yemen due to be played on Tuesday, a FIFA spokesman told AFP.

"Due to safety and security reasons and in coordination with AFC (Asian Football Confederation), FIFA has decided to postpone the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Pakistan and Yemen which was due to be played on Tuesday, March 17, in Lahore," the spokesman said.

"Further details on the date of the match, which will take place in a neutral venue, will follow in due time."

The decision comes a day after fourteen people were killed and more than 70 injured when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked churches in Lahore, sparking mob violence in which two other suspected militants died.

The bombings occurred during prayers at two churches located around half a kilometre apart in the city's Youhanabad neighbourhood, which is home to more than 100,000 Christians, officials said.

The Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction described the blasts as suicide attacks and vowed to continue their campaign for the enforcement of Sharia Islamic law, in a statement emailed to the media.

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