They were stunned by FIFA’s shocking decision to deny local footballers eligibility. Macau Football Association (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) requested to send Portuguese players who have been long-time members of the Singapore Special Administrative Region team.
The affected players include captain Niki Torrão, who has played for Macau for more than 20 years, as well as Filipe Duarte, Vítor Almeida and Iuri Capelo. These players are permanent residents but do not have Macau passports. They will not be eligible to represent Macau in the upcoming Asian Cup Against Brunei on September 6.
[See more: What’s next for football in Macao?]
FIFA’s response to the request sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a firm “no”. according to arrive Macau Tribune (JTM). AFC Asian Cup With only two weeks left in the qualifying round, the head coach Lazaro Oliveira – He was appointed head coach of the team in 2019 – He will have a difficult task: finding the right players to play.
He expressed his disappointment to JTM and said that “he will try his best to play the game, motivate the players on the field and emphasize their importance.”
Macau team (low ranking 185 In the FIFA standings) the last match was in the AFC Asian qualifiers in October against Myanmar In the end, both sides drew 0-0. The team has not won in the past five games.
The Macau Football Association said FIFA’s decision did not adequately take into account Macau’s special circumstances and the long history of Portuguese players representing the city, and it plans to seek further clarification from both parties. FIFA and Asian Football Confederation,
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