Bahamas pull out of World Cup qualifiers
Reuters - Monday 22 August 2011, 10:53
BERNE - Bahamas have pulled out of
the 2014 World Cup qualifying competition, FIFA said on Monday.
Football's governing body did not give any further details on
the withdrawal of Bahamas who had been due to play in Group C in
the second round of the CONCACAF zone along with Panama,
Dominica and Nicaragua.
FIFA said the group would now be contested by three teams
with the winners progressing to the next stage of qualifying.
Bahamas beat Turks and Caicos Islands 10-0 on aggregate in a
two-leg preliminary tie, Lesly St Fleur scoring five goals in a
6-0 first-leg win.
They were the biggest risers in last month's FIFA rankings,
leaping from 197th place to 152nd.
The Bahamas Tribune said the withdrawal was caused by the
unavailability of a new Chinese-built 23,000 capacity stadium
which the federation had planned to use for home games.
It added that although the stadium was handed over by the
Chinese government in June, approach roads, car parks,
landscaping and sewerage had not been completed.
The report said the alternative would have been to play home
matches at neutral venues but the cost would have been
prohibitive.