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MNUFC's Michael Boxall 'racially abused' during international friendly

Originally posted on FanNation Bring Me The Sports
By Joe Nelson | Last updated 6/19/23

Inaction by the official after Michael Boxall was allegedly the victim of racial abuse during Monday's interntinal friendly between New Zealand and Qatar prompted the New Zealanders to boycott the second half, thus ending the game in defense of their teammate.

Boxall, who plays center-back for the Minnesota United in Major League Soccer, allegedly was racially abused by Qatar's Yusuf Abdurisag. New Zealand Football issued a statement explaining the decision:

"Michael Boxall was racially abused during the first half of the game by a Qatari player. No official action was taken so the team have agreed not to come out for the second half of the match," the statement reads.

Video from Sky Sport in the tweet below appears to show the incident that prompted New Zealand's decision.

Further details of what constituted racial abuse against Boxall, who is of Samoan descent, haven't been provided.

New Zealand Professional Footballers Association issued a statement in support of the team's decision, saying it "stands unequivocally with its players" and that there "is no room for racism in our sport."

This article first appeared on FanNation Bring Me The Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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