KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially announced Palestine’s withdrawal from the upcoming Merdeka Tournament.
FAM’s secretary-general, Noor Azman Rahman, stated that the footballing body had received a formal letter from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) regarding the team’s withdrawal from the tournament due to the ongoing and escalating conflict with Israel.
“We received a formal letter from the PFA at 2am this morning, and we had to comply with it.
“The situation in Gaza is worsening, and the letter also mentioned that many of the home-based players were unable to leave their houses due to the violence.
“We pray for the lives lost and hope for peace in Palestine,” Azman said.
Azman also mentioned that the tournament’s format would remain unchanged despite having only three teams participating in this year’s edition.
“Since we had no time to invite an alternative team, we have decided not to make any major changes to the tournament’s format.
“The fixtures will remain the same; it’s just that Tajikistan, who was supposed to play against Palestine in the first semifinal, will automatically qualify to play in the final against the winner of the India vs Malaysia match,” Azman added.
Previously, Lebanon was forced to withdraw from the Merdeka Tournament because Lebanon and Palestine had been drawn into the same group for the 2026 World Cup-2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in November.
Lebanon was quickly replaced by world’s 110th-ranked Tajikistan to participate in the tournament, which is returning after a decade-long absence.
The 42nd edition of the Merdeka Tournament, which is scheduled to take place from October 13-17 is set to be a proving ground for Kim Pan-gon’s Harimau Malaya, who will compete in the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar next year. – October 10, 2023