Manchester United will be asked to cancel their July tour match in Malaysia after organisers bowed to pressure from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the country's top soccer official said.

"We have to abide by the ruling of the Asian football family. Manchester United can't come in July," Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah told reporters yesterday.

Abdullah was speaking just after FIFA president Sepp Blatter and AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam pleaded during the body's Congress for countries to withdraw support for Manchester United's tour of Asia during the July 7-29 Asian Cup.

United were due to play in Kuala Lumpur on July 27, two days before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta. The AFC and Football Association of Malaysia last year signed an agreement banning the promotion of any other soccer event during the Asian Cup.

The English Premier League champions are also due to visit Japan, South Korea and Macao.

Alex Ferguson's side enjoy huge support in Malaysia and the region and the club sees Asia as a major market for its merchandise.

Malaysian soccer officials were clearly taken aback by the show of support from the AFC's 45 other members, who all clapped loudly after Blatter and Hammam made their requests.

(China Daily via Agencies May 9, 2007)