The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will hold a meeting with Gulf football federations in the coming hours to determine the final dates for the postponed Round of 16 matches of the AFC Champions League Elite and the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League 2. The goal is to set the match schedule before the start of the continental knockout rounds, scheduled for April 16. According to information, the closest dates for the postponed matches will be in April itself, before the knockout rounds begin in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting comes after the AFC announced the postponement of the Round of 16 (Elite) and quarter-final (ACL 2) matches for the West Zone to a later date, instead of the previously scheduled dates in March. The AFC had clarified in a statement that it would provide updates on the postponed matches at a later time.
The postponed matches include: Al Wahda (UAE) vs. Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) vs. Tractor (Iran), Al Sadd (Qatar) vs. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), and Al Duhail (Qatar) vs. Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) in the Round of 16 of the ACL Elite. Also, Al Wasl (UAE) vs. Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) and Al-Hussein (Jordan) vs. Al Ahli (Qatar) in the quarter-finals of ACL 2.
The AFC has not yet determined the format of the next rounds, whether they will be home-and-away ties or single matches. The final decision will be made during the meeting.
Previously, Saudi clubs had proposed holding the Round of 16 matches as single ties instead of the home-and-away system, and the same for ACL 2. However, it has been learned that Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, and Al Wasl clubs insist on holding the matches in the home-and-away format. This follows the AFC's decision to postpone the second legs of the Round of 16 and quarter-finals due to the current regional situation. UAE clubs demanded equal opportunities for their competitors in the decisive stage of both continental tournaments.
