Manchester United will be asked to cancel their July tour match
in Malaysia after organisers bowed to pressure from the Asian
Football Confederation (AFC), the country's top soccer official
said.
"We have to abide by the ruling of the Asian football family.
Manchester United can't come in July," Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad
Shah told reporters yesterday.
Abdullah was speaking just after FIFA president Sepp Blatter and
AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam pleaded during the body's Congress
for countries to withdraw support for Manchester United's tour of
Asia during the July 7-29 Asian Cup.
United were due to play in Kuala Lumpur on July 27, two days
before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta. The AFC and Football
Association of Malaysia last year signed an agreement banning the
promotion of any other soccer event during the Asian Cup.
The English Premier League champions are also due to visit
Japan, South Korea and Macao.
Alex Ferguson's side enjoy huge support in Malaysia and the
region and the club sees Asia as a major market for its
merchandise.
Malaysian soccer officials were clearly taken aback by the show
of support from the AFC's 45 other members, who all clapped loudly
after Blatter and Hammam made their requests.
(China Daily via Agencies May 9, 2007)