TOKYO   -   Japan look poised to reach the fi­nal stage of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup without kicking a ball after FIFA said their match at North Ko­rea will not be rescheduled. North Korea were supposed to stage the qualifier on Tues­day in the capital Pyongyang but five days before the game officials abruptly said the iso­lated country could not play host without giving a reason. On Friday, the Asian Football Confederation said the match was off and at the weekend, FIFA said it “shall neither be played nor rescheduled”, cit­ing lack of space in the in­ternational football calendar. “The matter and match out­come will be referred to the FIFA disciplinary committee,” FIFA added.