Malaysian football chief Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim fears the national team could be poisoned if they are forced to play their Asian Cup qualifier in North Korea.
The Asian Football Confederation has received an appeal from Malaysia over their scheduled qualifying clash against North Korea in Pyongyang next month.
Malaysia now want the game to be moved to a neutral venue after diplomatic ties between the two countries have been tense since the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was killed by assassins at Kula Lumpur airport in February.
Tunku Ismail (TMJ) claims the safety of the Malaysian players is at risk and has now added his calls for the game to be rescheduled.
“I’m very concerned about the safety assurance regarding the accommodation provided and the food,” said TMJ on Facebook.
“According to the information I have received we need to bring our own food due to the possibility of sabotage.”
“Another big concern is the issue of refereeing because if there are decisions going against the North Koreans, there is the possibility that the safety of match officials will be affected and that will surely put them under pressure.”
The AFC confirmed earlier this week that they are discussing Malaysia’s appeal.
“I can confirm that we have received the appeal (from Malaysia) and we are considering it,” said a spokesman.