AFC tells Man. U boss to reschedule Malaysia match

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 Kyodo

Asian football chief Mohamed Hammam told Manchester United boss David Gill on Wednesday to reschedule a July 27 friendly match with Malaysia XI because it clashes with the Asian Cup Finals.

Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation, had a two-hour meeting with Gill and FA Premier League Chairman Dave Richards at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to resolve what has turned into a public row and one that could land the Malaysian government with a legal suit.

''I really appreciate the gesture that David Gill and Sir Dave Richards have displayed by coming here to AFC House to meet face to face to discuss the issue,'' Hammam said in a statement.

''We have presented our case to Manchester United and fully explained our position...We very much hope that we can all seek a compromise to protect the interests of the AFC Asian Cup 2007 and the development of Asian football,'' he said, adding, ''We have made the request and we shall await the response.''

Gill and Richards left without speaking to reporters.

United announced in April they would warm up for the 2007-2008 season with a tour to Japan, South Korea, Macao and Malaysia.

They plan to kick off against J-League champions Urawa Red Diamonds on July 17 in Saitama before taking on FC Seoul on July 20 in the South Korean capital.

The team will then head to Macao for a match against Shenzhen FC on July 23, before closing the tour in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 against Malaysian XI.

Hammam, backed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, had earlier demanded United postpone the entire Asian tour. Hammam had called the English football team ''disrespectful.''

Malaysia, which with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam will co-host the July 7-29 Asian Cup Finals, has also come under fire from the AFC.

The Football Association of Malaysia had earlier agreed to the AFC's call for the United game to be postponed but backtracked after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the game should go on.

Malaysia argued the match, which will take place two days after the Asian Cup semifinal in Kuala Lumpur, is part of the 50th independence anniversary celebrations and Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign.

Hammam had warned the Malaysian government of ''wide ranging legal repercussions'' for breaching its agreement as an Asian Cup host.

One of the clauses in the agreement stipulates that a host nation must not hold any other football tournament 10 days before and three days after the Asian Cup.

Asian officials are trying to raise the profile of domestic soccer amid fanaticism for the English Premier League in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

There are more pages devoted to the English Premier League in Malaysian newspapers' sports pages than to the dismal local football scene.

The New Straits Times two weeks ago slammed Hammam.

''The AFC has also got to realize that no matter what it does, the fans can't be forced into the stadiums unless the quality of play is top-notch,'' it said.

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