All Whites Take a Stand Against Racism at Friendly Match in Austria.

The All Whites, New Zealand’s national men’s football team, have abandoned their friendly match with Qatar after experiencing racial abuse and inaction from officials. The game was held in Austria on Monday and the All Whites took the extraordinary step of refusing to take the pitch for the second half after leading 1-0 at halftime.

The incident follows a similar occurrence involving the Republic of Ireland Under-21s’ friendly against Kuwait Under-22s, which was also abandoned due to alleged racist abuse.

The All Whites were subjected to racial slurs and chants from a small group of supporters throughout the game, according to reports. The players reported that they were ignored when they brought it to the attention of match officials, so took the decision to not come back out for the second half as a matter of principle.

The All Whites management team released a statement following the game in which they denounced racism and commended their players for “taking a stand”. New Zealand Football echoed these sentiments, stating that they were “unacceptable” and did not reflect the values of football or the country.

The Qatar Football Association also released a statement in which they apologised to New Zealand for the incident and condemned the behaviour of those responsible. They promised an investigation into what had transpired and stated that those found guilty of racial abuse would face severe sanctions.

Racism has no place in football, or any other sport, so it is encouraging to see teams standing up for what is right and calling out such behaviour. The incident in Austria has highlighted the need to continue the battle against racism in football and ensure that everyone can enjoy the game without being subjected to abuse.