KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 ― North Korea and Malaysia will play their Asian Cup final round Group B qualifiers at a neutral venue in November, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said today.

Diplomatic relations between the countries soured following the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February.

Malaysia has since banned citizens from travelling to North Korea.

"In the interests of competition fairness, it has been decided that both matches between the two countries will be played at the same neutral venue,” the AFC said in a statement.

North Korea’s ‘home’ match will take place on Nov. 10 and the return fixture ― Malaysia’s ‘home’ game ― three days later, it added. ― Reuters