Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is pleased to confirm that all matches between the national teams and clubs of the Saudi Arabia and Iran will take place on a home-and-away basis.
Previously, Saudi Arabia and Iran had political conflicts since 2016 until cut off diplomatic relations between both countries. And have agreement between the two AFC Member Associations, all matches between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) at the national and club levels were mandated to be played in neutral venues following the 2016 decision of the AFC Competitions Committee and AFC Executive Committee.
The positive development follows a groundbreaking agreement between the SAFF and FFIRI today, which has been duly communicated to the AFC.
The AFC welcomes the historic move as it reflects the commitment of both the SAFF and FFIRI towards fostering closer ties between their respective footballing communities, allowing clubs to host matches on their home turf and visiting the respective away stadiums, creating a more engaging and exciting experience for the fans and players alike.
With the home-and-away matches of the AFC Champions League 2023/24 season between clubs of the SAFF and FFIRI set to kick off on September 19, the AFC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders involved in these matches, while securing the necessary approvals of the relevant AFC committees.
AFC Champions League 2023/24 in West Zone 2 groups have clubs from Saudi Arabia and Iran along with the same group, are Group C (Al Ittihad, Sepahan), and Group D (Al Hilal, FC Nassaji)
Credit Photo : Al Jazeera
