AFC Champions League Matches in West Postponed Amid Regional Tensions

Alanbatnews -

Matches in the West zone of the AFC Champions League have been postponed due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced.

The AFC cited the need to ensure the safety and security of all players, teams, match officials, and fans as the primary reason for the postponement.

The affected matches include those in the AFC Champions League Elite, originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in the West zone.

Four round-of-16 matches were set to take place in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, featuring clubs from those countries, as well as Saudi Arabia and Iran. These matches will be rescheduled for a later date.

Al-Ahli Saudi FC were scheduled to travel to Qatar to face Al-Duhail, while Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE were to host Iran's Tractor.

Additionally, Al-Sadd of Qatar was slated to host Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, and Al-Ittihad were to visit Al-Wahda in the UAE.

Matches in the AFC Champions League 2, which has reached the quarter-final stage, have also been impacted.

Al-Ahli of Qatar was due to host Al-Hussein Irbid of Jordan, and Al-Wasl of the UAE were scheduled to face Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo. That particular fixture was originally set for Wednesday.

The AFC stated it is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in the region.

Matches in the East zone of both competitions will proceed as scheduled.