SINGAPORE - National football coach Tatsuma Yoshida and his Lions will have to wait until 2021 to resume their World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying campaign, after world governing body Fifa announced on Wednesday (Aug 12) that games scheduled for October and November will be pushed back till after the new year because of the coronavirus crisis.
"With the aim of protecting the health and safety of all participants, Fifa and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) will continue to work together to closely monitor the situation in the region and to identify new dates for the respective qualifying matches," it said in a media statement.
"Further details on the new dates for the next round of qualifying matches for the Fifa World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 will be announced in due course."
Singapore, with seven points, are third in Group D, two points behind leaders Uzbekistan, and one behind second-placed Saudi Arabia. Yemen (five points) and Palestine (four) are also in the group.
The Lions were scheduled to play Palestine in Al-Ram on Oct 8, host Saudi Arabia on Oct 13, and then play their final Group D game in Tashkent against Uzbekistan on Nov 12.
The top finisher in each of the eight qualifying groups and best four second-placed teams will progress to the third round of World Cup qualifiers and secure a spot at the 2023 Asian Cup in China.
