New Zealand refused to appear for the second half of their friendly against Qatar in Austria on Monday after allegations of racial abuse towards defender Michael Boxall, who has Samoan heritage, by an opponent.
The incident happened just before half-time, triggering a melee after outraged New Zealand players surrounded one of the Qatari players before a free kick.
“Michael Boxall was racially abused during the first half of the game by a Qatari player,” New Zealand Football, the country’s governing soccer body, said on its Twitter account. “No official action was taken so the team have agreed not to come out for the second half of the match.”
The Qatar Football Association said on its Twitter feed that New Zealand had withdrawn from the friendly, without giving any further details. Reuters has contacted the governing body for comment.
