DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Cook Islands became the second country to compete in the Oceania World Cup Qualifiers whose match is postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases.
The Oceanian football confederation reported that matches between Cook Islands and Haiti and Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, for Group A, will not be played on Sunday.
FIFA said Vanuatu withdrew from the knockout tournament in Doha, Qatar, after a majority of its squad tested positive for the virus. According to the continental confederation “several players from Cook Islands have shown positive”.
Cook Islands debuted on Thursday with a 2-0 defeat to Solomon Islands. Vanuatu's match against Tahiti was postponed.
On the first day of Pool B on Friday, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea 1-0 and Fiji beat New Caledonia 2-1.
The winner of the Oceania final, which will be played on 30 March, will play a playoff in June against the fourth of the CONCACAF qualifiers. The winner will qualify for the Qatar World Cup which will start in November.