Tokyo: Crisis-hit Lebanon have withdrawn from qualifying for the 2007 Asian Cup because of the widespread damage caused by Israeli air strikes, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said yesterday.
The Lebanon Football Association (LFA) sent a formal letter to the AFC on Monday, citing the "tragic circumstances" inflicted by Israel's bombardment of the country for its decision. Several Lebanese players were also missing amid the destruction, a senior LFA official said, adding that there was no way of contacting them.
AFC immediately convened an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the situation. The AFC Competitions Committee is set to make a final decision tomorrow.
Lebanon were due to play Bahrain away on August 16 with their next home qualifier scheduled for September 6 in Beirut, also against Bahrain.
Australia and Kuwait are the other teams in Group D.
However, the LFA said in its letter that the effect of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon had left its plans in disarray, with officials unable to contact several national team players.
"We deeply regret that we are unable to proceed in our participation in the Asian Cup 2007... due to tragic circumstances in our country," LFA general secretary Rahif Alameh wrote.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their houses, among which are several of Lebanese national team players.
"They have been separated from their families and we have lost all means of contact with them."
Alameh also noted that the closure of Beirut's airport and heavy bomb damage to main roads had made travelling to away games virtually impossible for the Lebanese squad.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) offered its sympathy to the Lebanese upon hearing of the developments. FFA official said they would continue to factor Lebanon into their preparations until they had received official advice to the contrary from the AFC.
