An Asian Cup qualifier between Malaysia and North Korea has been postponed, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced Friday, the latest casualty of souring diplomatic relations following the killing of Kim Jong-Nam. Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, was poisoned with the deadly nerve agent VX in a brazen Cold War-style assassination in Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month.
The killing triggered a bitter row between Malaysia and North Korea when Malaysian police rejected Pyongyang's demands to hand over Kim's body without a DNA test. The Harimau Malaysia squad had been due to play in the North Korean capital on March 28 as a lead up to the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates. But the fate of the match was thrown into doubt after Malaysian officials this week banned the team from playing in Pyongyang, citing security threats.
"The AFC Competitions Committee have taken the decision to postpone the tie after escalating diplomatic tension between the Governments of DPR Korea and Malaysia," the Asian Football Confederation said in a statement. "A new date for the game will be announced in due course."