Only 19,000 tickets sold for Tottenham's fixture in Malaysia after fan group protest

Don't mess with Malaysia's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Only 19,000 tickets have been sold for Tottenham Hotspur's friendly versus a Malaysian XI on Wednesday, the result of an effective protest from the Ultras Malaya, a Malaysian fan group.

The fixture, which is set to take place at the 80,000-capacity Shah Alam Stadium, is viewed as a disruption to Malaysia's World Cup qualifying preparations, as the national team is set to begin their bid to reach Russia 2018 on June 11, when they host Timor-Leste.

Along with Liverpool's visit to Malaysia in July, the Ultras Malaya have branded the pair of games as "circus matches," asking supporters to rip up tickets while urging a boycott.

In recent years, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal have had no trouble drawing crowds for friendly matches in Malaysia.

- With h/t to the Guardian