The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed that Saturday’s friendly clash with Zambia has been called off.
This comes after a fresh wave of Xenophobic attacks in Pretoria and Gauteng, with foreign nationals being targeted by rioters.
According to SAFA, the decision to call off Saturday’s fixture was made by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
“The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) regrets to inform members of the public that the international friendly match between Zambia and South Africa that was scheduled for National Heroes Stadium on Saturday, 7 September 2019 has been called off in view of the prevailing security concerns in South Africa,” the FAZ said in an official statement.
“FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala has relayed the message to the South African Football Association (SAFA) about the decision.”
And, after Zambia’s decision to pull out of the friendly, SAFA has revealed they are now working on securing a replacement in time for the weekend.