North Koreans out of World Cup qualifying

South Korean officials say North Korea has told soccer’s Asian governing body it will not participate in World Cup qualifiers next month because of coronavirus concerns.

Kim Min-soo, an official from the Seoul-based Korean Football Association, on Tuesday said the Asian

Football Confederation has asked North Korea to reconsider its decision. He said the North notified the AFC last week of its intent to drop out of the matches.

South Korea is scheduled to host North Korea, Turkmenistan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka in Group H qualifying matches from May 31 to June 15. The group matches are being played in hubs because of delays in continental qualifying for the 2022 World Cup caused by the pandemic.