AFC Moves Elite ACL Ties to Jeddah Amid Conflict Shift

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that four Asian Champions League (ACL) Elite Round of 16 matches, which were postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, will now be played in Jeddah as single-leg ties.

The matches were originally scheduled to be played on a home-and-away basis in early March across multiple countries, including Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. However, due to security concerns following escalating tensions in the region, AFC has revised the format and venue.

The conflict began after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on February 28, followed by retaliatory attacks from Iran targeting Israel, US bases, and Gulf states. Thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the violence.

As per the updated schedule, the four postponed Round of 16 matches will now be played on April 13 and 14 in Jeddah. The fixtures include:

• Al-Ahli vs Al-Duhail
• Al-Hilal vs Al-Sadd
• Shabab Al-Ahli vs Tractor FC
• Al-Wahda vs Al-Ittihad

These matches will be played as single-leg ties instead of the usual two-leg format.

Jeddah was already selected to host the later stages of the tournament. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will be held in the same city from April 16 to 25 in a centralized format.

Meanwhile, the Round of 16 matches from the Eastern region have already been completed. Teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals include Vissel Kobe, Machida Zelvia, Buriram United, and Johor Darul Ta'zim.

The draw for the quarter-finals will take place in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.