New Zealand national football team condemned the racist abuse suffered by a former PSL defender Michael Boxall during an international friendly on Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred during New Zealand’s game against Qatar in Austria. It was on the stroke of halftime when a confrontation broke out involving Michael Boxall, who has Samoan heritage.
New Zealand were leading 1-0 at the thanks to a goal by Marko Stamenic in the 16th minute.
In a statement, the All Whites 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.
“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.”
Jacob Spoonley, who is a former New Zealand goalkeeper described Boxall as a man with integrity. He said the ex-PSL player has a lot of tolerance and patience.
“To hear the details of the allegations that are being made by this All Whites team, I can completely understand why this action has been taken,” he said.
In addition, New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell said that the actions of the players were correct and he fully supports them.
“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,” he said.
OTHER SOCCER NEWS:Mixed fortunes for ex-PSL men in Zambia
Michael Boxall is the captain of Minnesota United in the MLS, where Bafana Bafana attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane plays his football.
The 34-year-old played for SuperSport between 2015 and 2017. He made 70 appearances for the club and scored five goals with three assists to his name.
Boxall when back-to-back Nedbank Cup titles with the Tshwane side before leaving in 2017.
Boxall played an important role in central defence as Matsatsantsa won back-to-back.
Internationally, he has featured 42 times for New Zealand and played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.