MALAYSIA/FILE: SOCCER - Malaysian FA allows Manchester United tour despite AFC ban

Record ID: 335976

  • Title: MALAYSIA/FILE: SOCCER - Malaysian FA allows Manchester United tour despite AFC ban
  • Date: 16th May 2007
  • Summary: MILAN, ITALY (FILE - MAY 1, 2007) (REUTERS) WAYNE ROONEY (FAR RIGHT) NEXT TO RYAN GIGGS DOING EXCERCISES IN TRAINING / MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON ON PITCH DURING TRAINING WIDE OF SQUAD TRANING ON PITCH FERGUSON ON PHONE AS SQUAD TRAIN BEHIND HIM
  • Embargoed: 31st May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVADX8IPTCW4RCIAF6ZU1M225S49
  • Story Text: Malaysia's soccer body, emboldened by support from the prime minister, will stand up to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and host Manchester United on July 27, a FAM official said. A friendly football match between Manchester United and a Malaysian select team will go ahead, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Monday (May 14), despite a ban on the game imposed by by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
    The planned game, on July 27, takes place just two days before the AFC's Asian Cup final in Jakarta and organisers don't want anything to take attention away from that.
    FAM Deputy President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had been forced last week to cancel the game by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and AFC Chief Mohamed bin Hammam, who said that United's presence in Asia would overshadow the July 7-29 Asian Cup tournament.
    Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stepped in on Friday, however, to insist the English champions' visit go ahead as part of celebrations of Malaysia's 50 years of independence.
    "We are not pressuring anybody, particularly AFC, we are just asking the good office, trying to understand the sentiment and the wishes of the government and the people here in view of our 50th anniversary," Tengku Abdullah told reporters in capital Kuala Lumpur.
    The FAM may now face sanctions for going ahead with the match.
    "We will try to, you know, try to consult again and appeal and plead to AFC so that they can give some flexibility here," said Tengku Abdullah.
    The Asian Cup is being co-hosted by Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. The last match in Malaysia is a July 25 semi-final. The FAM believes that by hosting United two days later it will not be in breach of a signed agreement with the AFC not to promote any other football event during the Asian Cup.
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