New Zealand Football (NZF) has taken a resolute stance against racism, as they vow to reach out to FIFA in a bid to safeguard players from discriminatory behavior.
The men's national team made a powerful statement by abandoning a friendly match against Qatar at halftime in protest against an alleged racist slur aimed at one of their players.
NZF revealed that a Qatari opponent directed a "significant racist slur" at Michael Boxall, an All Whites defender with Samoan heritage, just moments before the halftime break.
Despite reporting the incident, the team collectively decided not to return to the field after halftime due to the absence of any official action taken.
This incident was one of two matches in Austria on Monday that were abandoned following allegations of racism.
In a separate occurrence, Ireland's football association disclosed that their under-21 team had also abandoned a match against Kuwait's Olympic side following the use of racist language by a Kuwaiti player toward an Irish substitute.
Andrew Pragnell, the head of NZF, voiced unequivocal support for the players' stand and confirmed their intention to approach FIFA regarding their concerns.
"Certainly, we want to reach out to FIFA on this," Pragnell stated during a news conference in Auckland. "As you know, they have recently established a task force to combat racism, but more needs to be done to protect players from racial attacks on the field. We believe there has been some progress, but it is not moving fast enough. Hence, we are determined to contribute and make this one of our primary objectives."
Carlos Queiroz, the coach of Qatar, expressed solidarity with his team member and insisted that the incident should be addressed by football authorities.
"Apparently, two players exchanged words, and we do not know who initiated it. It is an issue between them," the Portuguese coach explained to Al-Kass Sports Channels. "The New Zealand players decided to support their teammate, and we also decided to stand by our player."
Video footage of the New Zealand friendly displayed multiple All Whites players engaging in a confrontation with a Qatari player shortly after a free kick was awarded.
Referee Manuel Schuttengruber, after a lengthy discussion with New Zealand captain Joe Bell, ultimately blew the halftime whistle, with New Zealand leading 1-0 following a goal by Marko Stamenic in the 16th minute.
Pragnell expressed the need for NZF to gain a clearer understanding of why match officials failed to take action.
"When someone is subjected to significant racial abuse and multiple people bear witness to it, yet no action is taken, then we have a more profound issue that requires us to scrutinize the rules," Pragnell added, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The Qatar Football Association (FA) took to Twitter to announce that New Zealand had withdrawn from the friendly without providing further details.
At the time of reporting, the Qatar FA, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation had not released immediate comments.
In solidarity with New Zealand, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) declared their intention to contact the governing bodies of football to address the "racist remark" made toward one of their substitutes. "The FAI does not tolerate any racism towards any of our players or staff and will be reporting this serious matter to FIFA and UEFA," the FAI affirmed through their social media channels.
The Kuwait Football Association contradicted the FAI's account of events and argued that the match was halted by the referee due to "roughness and tension" among the players. In a statement on social media, they unequivocally rejected the accusations made against them, stating, "The Kuwait Football Association categorically denies such allegations. The match was stopped by the referee in the 70th minute to protect the players from potential injuries."
As of now, the UEFA, the governing body of European football, has not issued an immediate comment on the incidents.
Racism has persistently plagued the headlines of football in recent months, drawing widespread attention.
To combat this issue, FIFA President Gianni Infantino established an anti-racism committee led by Vinicius Jr., the prominent Real Madrid forward who has unfortunately been a victim of racist abuse in Spain's La Liga.