The friendly match between Malta and Turkmenistan, scheduled to take place on October 10 at the Ta’ Qali Stadium near Valletta, Malta’s capital, was postponed because the Turkmenistan government did not grant permission for its players to travel. This was announced by the Malta Football Association’s press service, reports the “Adyrna” national portal.
“The Turkmenistan Football Association encountered difficulties in obtaining the necessary permission from their government to travel to Malta, which resulted in the cancellation of the match,” the official statement read.
It was noted that the international match had been approved by FIFA, UEFA, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), whose representatives, along with the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attempted to resolve the issue, but all efforts were unsuccessful.
It is worth mentioning that Malta had planned the friendly match with Turkmenistan as part of their preparations for the UEFA Nations League match against Moldova on October 13.
According to reports, Turkmen citizens require special permission to leave the country. However, even this may not be sufficient. Independent media frequently report that citizens who have purchased plane tickets are often denied permission to leave Turkmenistan without any explanation. Additionally, migration officers refuse to refer to any specific documentation for such decisions.
