GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — The Asian Football Confederation has postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East this week in response to the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran.
Soccer’s Asian governing body issued a statement Sunday saying the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in the West Region will be rescheuled.
The AFC Champions League 2 and AFC Challenge League quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in the West zone will also be postponed. No new dates have been set.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club Al-Nassr is among the teams involved in the Asian Champions League Two competition.
Matches in the East Region across all of the AFC’s continental championships will continue as scheduled, organizers said.
“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans,” the AFC said in a statement.
The AFC is hosting the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia starting Sunday.
Iran, one of the 12 national teams competing, will open Monday against South Korea.
At a scheduled pre-game news conference Sunday on the Gold Coast in Queensland state, Iran head coach Marziyeh Jafari declined comment on the military strikes or death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I don’t think we should talk about these matters at all right now,” Jafari said in comments translated to English. “There’s a team here for a very important competition that matters to these women and I think those should be the questions.”
Iran captain Zahra Ghanbari said her group was in Australia with the target of qualifying for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“That’s our full effort. It’s true we’re in a group with Australia, (South) Korea, and the Philippines, who are all really good,” she said, “but the mindset of all our players and our team is that, God willing, we can get out of our group.
“Our entire focus is on getting to the World Cup and achieving great success there.”
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