Sports

Thursday May 17, 2007

AFC to issue statement on FAM’s defiant stand today

PETALING JAYA: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be responding to the FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) defiant stand to ignore their instruction not to hold the Manchester United-Malaysia match on July 27 with an official statement today.

Earlier FAM, on AFC’s order, decided to call off the match but on Monday, the FAM changed their stand and announced that the match will be staged on July 27.

Clare Kenny Tipton, AFC assistant general secretary and director of marketing and media communications, said from Beijing yesterday that she was aware of FAM’s decision to go ahead with the match despite AFC’s instruction not to. She said a statement would be issued in the next 24 hours.

“I am flying out from Beijing today (yesterday) and will meet the AFC president (Mohamed Hammam). By end of tomorrow (today) we should have something out,” said Clare, who had to cut short her attendance at the International Football Arena Conference on behalf of the AFC president in Beijing.

The FAM are courting trouble and risk facing sanctions by the Asian governing body for their action.

The deputy president of FAM Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had on Tuesday met Hammam in a closed door meeting at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.

Clare, speaking at the Beijing Airport, said that the issue in Malaysia had been the topic of conversation at the conference and the news was even picked up by the International Herald Tribune.

Last week, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Hammam asked the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur to withdraw support for United’s tour of Asia during the July 7-29 Asian Cup.

The Red Devils are due to play in Kuala Lumpur two days before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta. The AFC and FAM signed an agreement last year barring the promotion of any other football events during the Asian Cup.

The promoters, ProEvents, had planned to kick off United’s tour against J-League champions Urawa Red Diamonds on July 17 in Japan, followed by FC Seoul (July 20) in South Korea, and Shenzhen FC (July 23) in Macau before the final stop against a Malaysian XI on July 27.

On Monday, the FAM took the stand that they had no authority to stop the English Premiership champions from playing here as it was organised by a private promoter working with the Ministry of Tourism.

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