ZURICH (AP) — Mauritius has pulled out of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, giving Liberia a bye into the African group stage.
FIFA announced the withdrawal of 189th-ranked Mauritius without specifying reasons.
Mauritius, which was chosen to host the 2013 FIFA Congress, was drawn to play Liberia in a home-and-away series on Nov. 11 and 15.
Liberia now joins a group with Senegal, Uganda and Angola, which will be played between June 2012 and September 2013.
The group winner advances to a 10-team playoff round to decide which five African nations play in 2014 in Brazil.
