FIFA reschedules postponed Israel games to November

Four matches involving Israel men’s and women’s national teams have been rescheduled to November, world soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Monday.

UEFA postponed all matches scheduled in the country earlier this month due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The rescheduled games will be played as close as possible to the existing November international windows, FIFA said.

The Kosovo vs. Israel and Israel vs. Switzerland Euro 2024 Group I qualifiers will now take place on Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, respectively.

Israel’s away game against Ka­zakhstan in the Women’s Nations League has been rescheduled to Nov. 23 and the reverse fixture will be played on Nov. 26.

At the request of European soccer’s governing body UEFA, FIFA has also approved an excep­tion regarding the mandatory re­lease of players for the rescheduled matches, it said.

“Mandatory release would apply for a maximum of one player per any club not affiliated to either of the participating member asso­ciations of a given match,” the statement read.

The release period would begin two days before the match in ques­tion, FIFA added. –Reuters