The World Cup qualifier football match between Hong Kong and Maldives will be held in Male, capital of Maldives on November 12, FIFA has informed the Football Association of Maldives.
It comes despite a state of emergency being declared in the country ahead of a planned anti-government rally on Saturday.
FIFA has informed to FAM that the FIFA World Cup Qualifier between Maldives and Hong Kong will be held in Male’, Maldives on 12th November.
— Football Association of Maldives (@MaldivesFA) November 6, 2015
On Thursday, the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) proposed that the match be moved to the Mong Kok Stadium.
The Hong Kong team was scheduled to travel to the Maldives on November 9 to prepare for the qualifying match to be held at the National Stadium in its capital Male.
Hong Kong national team footballer Chan Siu-ki said on his Facebook page that he was surprised by the decision: “Maldives is so dangerous now, we still have to play there?”
Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a 30-day state of emergency on Wednesday giving the security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects with their basic rights suspended.
The Hong Kong government then issued an amber travel warning for the country, advising those who plan to visit the island nation to monitor the situation, exercise caution and avoid travelling to places where the protests are, particularly the capital.
