Naijahood
UEFA has made an official announcement regarding the Euro 2024 qualifier match between Belgium and Sweden, stating that the game will not be replayed. The match was abruptly halted at half-time due to a shooting incident in Brussels. At the time of the abandonment, both teams were level at 1-1, with security concerns necessitating the stoppage.
In light of this, UEFA has determined that the half-time score will stand as the final result, and each team will be awarded one point for their performance up to that point. This decision has been made to ensure that the Group F standings accurately reflect this outcome.
Furthermore, any suspensions and single yellow cards handed out during the match will still be considered valid. UEFA’s Executive Committee arrived at this verdict after it became evident that it was impossible to reschedule and complete the remaining part of the game on the following day. Both the Royal Belgian Football Association and the Swedish Football Association, considering the exceptional circumstances, expressed their mutual desire not to continue the match and to accept the 1-1 score at half-time as the final result.
It’s important to note that this match’s outcome will not impact the qualification status of Group F. Belgium has already secured their place in the UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament, along with Austria, while Sweden is mathematically eliminated from contention.
The fixture schedule does not provide an opportunity to reschedule the match during the upcoming November international window, which is crucial for concluding the preliminary group stage of the competition, followed by the play-off draw and the final tournament draw.
In a tragic and somber note, the match was marred by a terror attack, resulting in the loss of two Swedish fans’ lives and severe injuries to another individual. Brussels police intervened, neutralizing the attacker at a cafe in the Schaerbeek neighborhood.
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