Qatar's football team say they are on the end of "false allegations" of racism in their friendly with New Zealand, insisting they were racially abused in their abandoned match.
An international match in Austria on Monday (Tuesday AEST) was called off at half-time in protest by the All Whites, who accused Qatar's Yusuf Abdurisag of using a racial slur against Michael Boxall.
Qatar's FA responded to the allegations 24 hours after the match, saying Abdurisag had been vilified.
"Yusuf stressed that no racial or discriminatory language was used or directed to any player of the New Zealand team," the QFA statement read.
"In the contrary, Yusuf stressed that, in fact, he himself was racially abused."
QFA President Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain said "everyone at QFA stands with Yusuf Abdurisag Yusuf".
A Qatar Ministry of Information official provided a statement to AAP on behalf of Abdurisag, who said a Kiwi player abused him, suggesting Boxall without naming him.
"I was the target of racist abuse from a member of the opposing team. To my complete shock, that same player accused me of using offensive language," he said.
"It’s true that players often say things to each other in the heat of the moment, but there is a clear line that I have never crossed.
"False accusations, like those I faced yesterday, only serve to weaken the ongoing fight against racism in football.”
NZ Football quickly denied the counter-allegations.
"The footage of the game clearly shows several of our players responding in unison to something offensive being said and the racial slur was heard widely by a number of players on the field," an NZF statement said.
The match was abandoned with New Zealand leading 1-0 through Marko Stamenic's first international goal.
The heated moment arrived in the 40th minute following a foul on Abdurisag.
Comments made by the 23-year-old winger incensed the All Whites and prompted a melee.
Captain Joe Bell remonstrated with the referee as the sides left the pitch for half-time, before an All Whites team meeting resolved not to return.
New Zealand Football chief Andrew Pragnell said his organisation would kick the issue to FIFA, which has declared its intent to take a "zero tolerance" to racism.
Last week, while meeting with Vinicius Jr, the long-running victim of racist abuse from fans in Spain, FIFA President Gianni Infantino pledged to "act in a very forceful way" to stop racism.
"It’s very important not just to talk about racism and discrimination, but to take action," he said,
"There is no football if there is racism so let’s stop the games."
Boxall is of Kiwi and Samoan heritage.
Australian legend Tim Cahill - who is also of Samoan heritage - was on the sideline as part of Qatar's coaching team, but has not commented on the matter.
The match was one of two which weren't completed on the same day in Austria due to allegations of racism.
Ireland under-21s pulled out of a match against the Kuwait Olympic team after alleging a racist remark was made by a Kuwaiti player towards an Irish substitute.
