MEXICO CITY, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- An international friendly between Mexico and Costa Rica has been canceled because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, the football federations of both countries said on Tuesday.
The teams had been due to meet at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on September 30, but Costa Rican federation Fedefutbol said it had no choice but to withdraw from the match because of quarantine rules.
"Our organization regrets the inconvenience that the suspension of the match may cause to the Mexican football federation (Femexfut) and thanks them for their willingness and patience in recent days," read the Fedefutbol statement.
Earlier this month, Costa Rican team officials said the match would not be possible if the country's health ministry did not provide an exception to a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers arriving from abroad.
In Tuesday's statement, Fedefutbol asked its government to "start conversations" to facilitate international fixtures scheduled for October and November.
For its part, Femexfut said it hoped to set up a clash against another opponent on September 30.
"We will be announcing a new rival on the same date as soon as possible," the entity said in a separate statement.
Both the Mexican and Costa Rican national teams have yet to play this year because of the global health crisis. Enditem
