BOXALL STANDS FIRM

BOXALL STANDS FIRM

Former SuperSport United defender Michael Boxall has been at the centre of a racism row that saw his New Zealand national team take an unprecedented stand last week, refusing to play on in their friendly against Qatar. Boxall, who is of Samoan origin, spent two successful seasons at Matsatsantsa between 2015 and 2017, playing a key role in helping them lift back-to-back Nedbank Cup titles before moving on to Minnesota United in the US. New Zealand and Qatar met in a friendly in Austria during the international break and Boxall claims he was the subject of a racial slur from Qatari winger Yousuf Abdurisag just before halftime. This was reported to officials, and when they failed to take action, the New Zealand team refused to play the second half and the game was abandoned