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Olympic qualifying tournament in Mexico postponed by virus

A 2020 Tokyo Olympic football North American qualifying tournament that was scheduled to begin next Friday in Mexico has been postponed by organizers due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced it was delaying the event and all other competitions for 30 days.

The eight-team Olympic qualifier had been set for 20 March  to 1 April at Guadalajara, Mexico.

It features the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic in Group A with Honduras, Canada, El Salvador and Haiti in Group B.

The two top teams in each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners of those games qualifying for Tokyo.

"The CONCACAF Council took these decisions with the welfare of everyone involved in mind and in light of developing travel restrictions and public health guidance," a statement from the regional governing body said.

CONCACAF Champions League playoff matches and 2021 Gold Cup qualifying first-round matches were also suspended.

Canada Soccer also announced that it was calling off upcoming home friendlies for its men's team that had been set for 27 and 31 March against Trinidad and Tobago and an 14 April women's friendly against Australia.

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