KUALA LUMPUR: Lebanon have withdrawn from the Merdeka Tournament but the FA of Malaysia (FAM) has found an immediate replacement, with Tajikistan confirming their participation.
The Merdeka Tournament, which is making a return after 10 years, will be staged at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil from Oct 13-17.
Other teams in the fray are Malaysia, Palestine and India.
World No. 136 Malaysia will play 99th-ranked India while world No. 96 Palestine take on world No. 110 Tajikistan in the opening matches on Oct 13. The final is on Oct 17.
"FAM received the withdrawal letter from the Lebanon FA on Monday. The letter stated the withdrawal was because Lebanon and Palestine were in the same group of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers," said FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman.
"On the following day, we received confirmation from the Tajikistan FF that they would play in the tournament, replacing Lebanon."