The Malaysia national football team have been stopped by the country's government from travelling to North Korea for their upcoming Asian Cup qualifier due to safety concerns.

The Football Association of Malaysia released a statement on Monday saying they would not fly to Pyongyang for the match which was scheduled to take place on March 28.

A decision was made after Malaysia expelled the North Korean ambassador, which forced them to admit it was "not safe for Malaysians to visit North Korea at this time".

The Asian Football Confederation has received a request for the game to be moved to a neutral venue for security reasons.

North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, was expelled following a breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two countries in the wake of the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, the exiled half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

North Korea looks set to expel the Malaysian ambassador in retaliation after reportedly declaring him persona non grata.