RAMALLAH: Palestine’s football association on Thursday said it had reluctantly agreed to play upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia and Malaysia at neutral venues, with the games set for Jordan.

The association however is also requesting a postponement of the match against Saudi Arabia set for Nov. 9 to allow it more time to organize, association head Jibril Rajoub said.

FIFA on Wednesday ordered Palestine to play the matches at neutral venues because of security fears. “I spoke to (Jordan’s) Prince Ali over the last two days and we will play the two matches in Jordan,” Rajoub said. “We will ask to postpone the match (with Saudi Arabia) for logistical reasons.”

Many Arab national teams refuse to play in the West Bank, saying it “normalizes” Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.