LIMA: Peruvian football officials have asked FIFA to shift the World Cup qualifier against Argentina next month from Boca Junior’s Bombonera stadium.

In a letter to FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, the Peruvian Football Association says it “will be difficult to ensure” the safety of “the Peruvian association as well as the thousands of fans who will travel from Peru for the historic match.”

A match in 2015 between Boca Juniors and archrival River Plate was suspended when River players were sprayed by fans with an irritant similar to tear gas.

Peru and Argentina meet on October 5. With two games remaining, they are tied on qualifying points and are trying to land one of four automatic berths from South America to play in next year’s finals in Russia.