(Reuters) – New Zealand refused to appear for the second half of their friendly against Qatar in Austria on Monday after allegations of racial abuse towards defender Michael Boxall by an opponent.
The incident happened just before halftime, triggering a melee after outraged New Zealand players surrounded one of the Qatari players before a free kick.
“Michael Boxall was racially abused during the first half of the game by a Qatari player,” New Zealand Football, the country’s governing soccer body, said on its Twitter account.
“No official action was taken so the team have agreed not to come out for the second half of the match.”
The Qatar FA said on its Twitter feed that New Zealand had withdrawn from the friendly without giving any further details. Reuters has contacted the governing body for comment.
Referee Manuel Schuttengruber had a long discussion with New Zealand captain Joe Bell and soon after blew for halftime.
New Zealand were leading 1-0 with a Marko Stamenic goal in the 16th minute.
The match was part of Qatar’s preparations for the Gold Cup which they have been invited to as part of a strategic partnership between Asian football and CONCACAF.
Racism in football has hit the headlines again in recent weeks, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino announcing an anti-racism committee led by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, who has been the victim of racist abuse in LaLiga.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
