Crisis-hit Lebanon has withdrawn from qualifying for the 2007 Asian Cup because of the widespread damage to the country caused by Israeli air strikes, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Lebanon Football Association (LFA) sent a formal letter to the AFC yesterday, citing the "tragic circumstances" inflicted by Israel's bombardment for its decision.
Several Lebanese players were also missing amid the destruction, a senior LFA official said, adding that there was no way of contacting them.
The AFC immediately convened an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the situation. The AFC Competitions Committee is set to make a final decision on Thursday.
"The main difficulty is not so much getting out of the country but getting the team together," said AFC communications director Clare Kenny.
"We have to wait for the Competitions Committee to accept Lebanon's request. But the main issue is actually locating the players, who are still trying to protect their families."
Lebanon were due to play Bahrain away on August 16th with their next home qualifier scheduled for September 6th in Beirut, also against Bahrain. Australia and Kuwait are the other teams in Group D.
