Ukraine FA asks for Scotland World Cup playoff to be postponed

MANCHESTER, England: Ukraine's Football Association has asked FIFA to postpone the team's World Cup qualification playoff match against Scotland on March 24, world soccer's governing body said on Thursday.

The winners of the game at Hampden Park in Glasgow are due to face Austria or Wales for a place in November's World Cup finals in Qatar.

"FIFA can confirm it has received a request from the Ukrainian Association of Football today to postpone their matches scheduled for March," it said in a statement.

"FIFA remains in regular contact with UEFA and the Scottish Football Association to find an appropriate solution.

"FIFA expresses its deepest solidarity to everybody affected by what is happening in Ukraine. A further update will be provided in due course."

The Scottish FA and the Ukraine FA were not immediately available for comment.

The draw for the finals of the tournament is to be held in Doha on April 1.

With the tournament not due to start until Nov. 21, there could be the option of completing the playoff games later in the year.

Ukrainian domestic football has been halted since the country was invaded by Russia on Feb. 24.

Russia has been suspended from international football by UEFA and FIFA and will not be able to take part in their scheduled playoff game against Poland.

Ukraine, which began playing as an independent nation in 1992, last qualified for the World Cup finals in 2006 when they reached the quarter-finals. They made the last eight in the Euro 2020 tournament held last year.