Lausanne // Fifa have postponed next week's 2018 World Cup qualifier between Palestine and Saudi Arabia until a decision is made on where the match between the two nations should be played.
A meeting was held at Fifa headquarters in Zurich on Tuesday between Palestinian Football Federation president Jibril Rajoub and his Saudi counterpart Ahmed Eid Al Harbi.
“It was decided to postpone the match until the ongoing process has been concluded,” a Fifa spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.
The fixture, set for October 13, had been scheduled to take place in the West Bank, but Saudi Arabia on September 23 demanded that it be played on neutral ground.
That demand was accepted by the World Cup 2018 organising committee, chaired by Uefa president Michel Platini.
But the Palestinian Federation refused to accept, saying: “Depriving Palestine of the right to play at home is a dangerous precedent and impossible to accept under any conditions.”
The teams met each other in Jeddah in June, with the Saudis winning 3-2.
That match was actually supposed to be played in Palestine but Saudi Arabia had refused to travel to the West Bank, citing undefined “exceptional circumstances”.
The Saudis face the UAE on Thursday in Riyadh in a crucial qualifier at the top of Group A.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
