Palestine to host World Cup qualifiers on neutral territory

Palestine will play World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Malaysia next week on neutral territory because of safety concerns in the country.

The qualifier against Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for last month and then Thursday, will now take place on Monday while the proposed visit of Malaysia will remain scheduled for the following Thursday.

However, the Palestine Football Association will need to offer proposals for a neutral location for both fixtures after FIFA discussions in Palestine on Tuesday.

Following a meeting between FIFA’s security officer and local authorities, the world’s governing body confirmed the Palestine government “could no longer guarantee the safety and security around the matches in question”.

FIFA has now asked the Palestinian FA to give details of a neutral ground in Asia that will host both Group A matches.