Japan have won their recently-canceled World Cup qualifier against North Korea by forfeit, football's international governing body, FIFA, informed the Japan Football Association on Saturday.
Japan were declared 3-0 winners of the Asian second-round Group B tie, originally scheduled for Tuesday in Pyongyang. The win was the fourth straight for the Samurai Blue and sealed their spot in the Asian final round of qualifying with two games remaining.
Japan beat North Korea 1-0 at Tokyo's National Stadium on March 21, right before news broke that North Korea would not host their home game.
The story came after the country's media reported "a malignant, infectious disease" in Japan, an apparent reference to the rising number of fulminant hemolytic streptococcal infections in the country.
The AFC confirmed a day later that the match "will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances," and FIFA was left to rule the match's result.
"There's no denying the fact that important playing opportunities for players have been lost," Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said. "(But) I take it positively that we are taking a step forward (in World Cup qualifying)."
