GENEVA, Oct 15: FIFA president Sepp Blatter will personally address Cuban sports authorities over defections of its soccer players after three more abandoned the team ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifier away to Canada.

“Definitely, it’s not only a question for the (FIFA) competitions’ department but it is a presidential question that I will address personally to the sports authorities in Cuba, by giving them a copy to give to their political authorities.”

“It is a serious (matter) and we have taken note of that, we have received the reports,” he told reporters on Monday.

Three Cuban players went missing in Toronto on Thursday last week prior to the game with Canada a day later.

Blatter had been due to visit Cuba as part of a Caribbean tour this month but has postponed the trip for reasons he said had nothing to do with the defections.

Maykel Galindo, who later went to play for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer, defected during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States in 2005.

Seven members of Cuba’s Olympic soccer team defected in Florida in 2008 after a game against the United States.

In October the same year, Pedro Faife and Reynier Alcantara abandoned the senior team in Washington before a World Cup qualifier against the U.S.

Last year, Yosniel Mesa defected during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States and in March, a Cuban player left his team while they were in Tennessee for an Olympic qualifying tournament.—Reuters