Asian Football Confederation Postpones Asian Cup Draw

Asian Cup draw postponed amid ongoing Middle East conflict

The AFC announces postponement of Asian Cup draw due to regional conflict, citing need for uninterrupted stakeholder attendance.

The Asian Cup draw, scheduled for April 11 in Riyadh, has been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

The Asian Cup draw, scheduled for April 11 in Riyadh, has been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Asian Football Confederation announced the postponement, citing the need to ensure uninterrupted attendance of stakeholders at the draw ceremony.

The decision comes as numerous sporting events in the region face disruptions. Saudi Arabia was set to host the 24-team continental championship for the first time, with the last round of qualifiers having taken place recently. Teams like Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Jordan, Australia, and Uzbekistan have already secured their spots in the finals.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to the postponement or cancellation of numerous sporting events in the region. The conflict began almost a month ago when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Asian Cup draw, scheduled for April 11 in Riyadh, has been postponed indefinitely due to the conflict. Saudi Arabia was set to host the 24-team quadrennial continental championship for the first time, with the last remaining round of qualifiers taking place on Tuesday.

Other affected events include the Asian Champions League, with some matches rescheduled to take place in Jedny in Jeddah, after the US and Israeli war on Iran disrupted the tournament. The Asian Football Confederation has announced that the latter stages of the Asian Champions League Elite will proceed as planned in Jeddah, with matches running from April 13 to 26.

Qatar are the defending champions and have already secured their spot in the finals, alongside four-time winners Japan. Other teams that have qualified include South Korea, Iran, Jordan, Australia, and Uzbekistan.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that the latter stages of the Asian Champions League Elite will proceed as planned in Jeddah, with matches scheduled from April 13th to 26th. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will be played as single-leg knockout ties at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium.