International football match abandoned after racial slur incident

Austria: New Zealand versus Qatar match and the Republic of Ireland versus Kuwait match were both marred by acts of racial slurs.

During the New Zealand match, a player alleged that they were subjected to racial abuse by an opposing player, prompting the New Zealand team to refuse to continue playing in the second half.

Similarly, the Ireland versus Kuwait match was cut short when a racist remark was reportedly made by a Kuwaiti player toward an Irish substitute.

New Zealand football federation addressed the issue through a tweet, stating, "Michael Boxall was racially abused during the first half of the game by a Qatari player. No official action was taken, so the teams have agreed not to come out for the second half of the match."

New Zealand Football (NZF), the governing body of soccer in the country, fully supported the players' decision to abandon the match, emphasizing that racism has no place in the sport.

Football Association of Ireland (FAI) also condemned the racist remark and vowed to report the matter to FIFA and UEFA.