Socceroos' qualifier in Bangladesh to go ahead
Australia's World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday will go ahead as scheduled.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) has confirmed the Socceroos will play Bangladesh in Dhaka next week, despite security concerns.
The FFA released a statement on Friday confirming Australia's scheduled World Cup qualifier in the Bangladeshi capital will go ahead on Tuesday.
Australia had initially hoped to have the fixture moved to a neutral venue amid concerns around terrorism in the country after the country's cricket team cancelled their four-week tour to Bangladesh in October.
"We would like to thank the Australian Government, DFAT, FIFA, AFC, the Bangladesh Football Federation and numerous Bangladesh government and securities bodies for working with our security experts to put in place a plan to allow this match to go ahead as planned," said FFA CEO David Gallop said after Australia's 3-0 win over Kyrgyzstan in Canberra on Thursday.
"Right from the outset our number one priority has been the safety of our staff and players. Over the last month we have undertaken an extensive intelligence and risk management operation, driven by our world class security advisors and the relevant Government and security agencies, and we are happy with the plans put in place."
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