Postponement of Asian Elite League Matches

Informed sources revealed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that a decision has been made to postpone the Round of 16 matches of the AFC Champions League for the elite in the West region, due to the ongoing events in the area.

The sources explained that the Asian Football Confederation is working in coordination with local federations to find a suitable alternative date for holding the matches, ensuring everyone's safety and the continuity of the competition.

The same information indicated that if it is not possible to determine a suitable timing, the tournament may be completed in a centralized format during April, starting from the round of 16 instead of the quarter-finals.

The Asian Football Confederation had officially announced the schedule for this round earlier, specifying that the first leg would take place between March 2 and 4, and the second leg from March 9 to 11, 2026, following the home-and-away system with qualification determined by the aggregate score of the two matches.

The first leg featured notable matches, most prominently the encounter between Qatar's Al-Duhail and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli in Doha, as well as Qatar's Al-Sadd against Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, in addition to the clash between UAE's Al-Wahda and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad.

The return leg was scheduled to be held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, featuring a match between Al-Ahli and Al-Duhail, while Kingdom Arena would host the encounter between Al-Hilal and Al-Sadd, with the separation between East and West clubs continuing until the final stages.

The draw for the tournament finals is scheduled to take place on March 25 at the Asian Football Confederation headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in preparation for the decisive stages to be held in a centralized format in Jeddah from April 16 to 25, 2026, following a fixed path until the final.