26 Apr 2009

Flu means no crowd at bu Mexican football games

7:33 am on 26 April 2009

Two football matches in Mexico City will be played behind closed doors due to a deadly outbreak of a previously unknown strain of flu in the country, the Mexican Football Federation has decided.

Guadalajara and America, Mexico's most popular teams, will play Pumas and Tecos respectively in league matches on Sunday - but normally packed spectator stands will be empty.

The Mexican government says at least 20 people have died of the virus, a type of swine flu, and it may also be responsible for 48 other deaths. It said 1,004 suspected cases have been reported so far.