Syria to play home World Cup qualifying ties at neutral venues

Syria will play their home World Cup qualifying ties at neutral venues, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Thursday without giving a reason for the switch.

Syria, who are bottom of Group A in the Asian qualifiers with two points from six games but still have a chance of finishing third and reaching the playoffs, will now face South Korea in the United Arab Emirates on February 1 2022.

Syria played Iran last month in Amman on November 16 - ending in a 3-0 defeat and the sacking of head coach Nizar Mahrous. 

The top two in Group A and B progress to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the third-placed teams enter a series of playoffs for a possible fifth place for Asian countries.