Under-20 World Cup: FIFA cancels the tie after a dispute with Israel

FIFA has canceled the draw for the Under-20 World Cup, which was scheduled to take place on Friday in Bali, after Indonesia requested that it veto Israel’s participation.

And those responsible for Indonesian football said in a statement that they had no official justification for canceling the lottery, but they linked the situation to the letter of the governor of Bali, Ian Koster, in which he requested the absence of the Israelis. .

The cancellation of the Friday lottery follows a letter sent on March 14 to the Indonesian government, in which it was requested to veto Israel’s participation, arguing that the country’s policies towards Palestine are not in line with Indonesia, which, remember, is the country with the right to veto. Most of the Muslims in the world.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup is scheduled to take place between May 20 and June 11 at various locations in Sumatra, Java and Bali, in a competition in which Portugal, which was world champion in 1989 and 1991, will not participate.

The president of the Indonesian Football Association, Arya Sinulinga, said he was looking for a solution with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, but warned of the consequences of a possible cancellation of the competition.

Sinulingga explained that such a scenario could lead to Indonesia being excluded from any further FIFA aspirations, and that even the country’s younger categories could be excluded from competitions.