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The Canadian national team has canceled plans for a trial with Iran next month due to political factors between the two countries.

There is no specific reason behind the cancellation of the match, which was scheduled to take place on June 5 in Vancouver.

In fact, it could be Canada’s first game at home since March, when they secured qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

What caused it?

Although there was no official statement, it is alleged that the cancellation was due to political factors.

The scheduled match between Canada and Iran has drawn opposition from politicians and families on the Canadian side who died aboard the Ukrainian commercial airliner that was shot down in January 2020 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards near their capital, Tehran.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said inviting Iran for a test would be a bad idea.

“Over the past week, the unsustainable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran has divided public opinion and in response, the match has been called off,” the Canadian Football Federation said in a statement.

“Although we take external factors into account when selecting the optimal opponent in our initial decision-making process, we will strive to move forward better.”

Canadian-Iranian policy intensifies

A Canadian special forensic team had produced a report in mid-2021 accusing Iran of incompetence and recklessness over the downing of a Ukrainian airliner. Iran criticized the report as highly politicized.

The report found that while the downing of Ukraine International Airlines 752 was not premeditated, it did not absolve Iranian officials of responsibility for the incident.

Iran admits to having shot down the plane shortly after taking off from Tehran and accuses a “serious error” by the forces on alert during the confrontation with the United States.