AFC Champions League knock-out stage to be postponed

KUALA LUMPUR - Representatives of the East Zone Member Associations (MA) with competing teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2020 have agreed to extend the dates of the knock-out rounds to allow for more time to complete the disrupted group stage fixtures due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the AFC said here on Monday.

During an emergency meeting in the Malaysian capital, representatives agreed that group matches scheduled for March and April which cannot be played, will be moved to May and June, AFC said.

If the current situation continues, then matches involving teams, other than clubs from Japan, can be played in July and any outstanding matches which have not been staged from Match Day 1 and 2 need to be concluded before August 2020, it added.

The round of 16 matches, originally planned for May and June, will be played in August. Quarterfinals will be played on September 15/16 with the return legs on September 29/30, 2020.

The semifinals will then take place on October 20/21 and the return leg on October 27/28, 2020 and the final dates would remain as November 22 and 28, 2020, AFC said.

The Asian football governing body also said that its officials will meet with FIFA this week to discuss the status of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers scheduled for March and June 2020.

"At present, a growing number of national teams are unable either to stage matches or to travel to venues, therefore, the AFC will meet FIFA and then the West Zone nations before making a final decision on the options that exist for the competition," the AFC said.