A former PSL defender was racially abused by a Qatari player during an international friendly match in Austria on Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred a few hours after Ireland Under-21s’ friendly clash against Kuwait Under-22s was abandoned in the same country; Austria as an Irish player was allegedly a victim of racial abuse.
New Zealand international, Michael Boxall, formerly with PSL side SuperSport United was reportedly racially abused during All White’s encounter against Qatar.
As a result of the racial slur directed at Boxall, New Zealand staged a protest. The players refused to come back out for the second half of the friendly game.
The proclaimed unfortunate incident transpired on the stroke of half-time with New Zealand leading 1-0, thanks to a strike by Marko Stamenic in the 16th minute.
In a statement released after the walk-off, New Zealand said: “In the 40th minute of the New Zealand vs Qatar game today in Austria, a Qatari player used a racial slur towards All Whites defender Michael Boxall after a confrontation between the two players.
NEW ZEALAND CONDEMNS ‘RACIST ATTACKS’ ON BOXALL
“The racial slur was heard by several New Zealand players, including Boxall. The players reported the incident, but no official action was taken.
“At half-time, with the All Whites leading 1-0 in the fixture, given that no official action was taken, the team collectively agreed that they would not continue with the match.
In addition, New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell said that they fully back the action of the players.
Football around the globe has been marred by racial abuse. Read Madrid duo Antonio Rüdiger and Vinícius Júnior are the latest players to suffer racial abuse. Monkey chants were hurled at the two players.
“We never want to see a match abandoned. But some issues are bigger than football. And it is important to make a stand. There is no room for racism in football,” added Pragnell.
Boxall, who is the captain of Bafana Bafana attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane at Minnesota United in the MLS is of Samoan heritage.
The 34-year-old defender was at SuperSport between 2015 and 2017, making 70 appearances for the DStv Premiership outfit. He managed to score five goals and provide three assists.
Boxall played an important role in central defence as Matsatsantsa won back-to-back Nedbank Cup titles. He parted ways with the club in 2017 after failure to reach an agreement on a new contract.
On the international stage, Boxall is a handful of caps away from 50 in All White colours. In addition, he represented his country at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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