March 5 – Just days after the head of Asian football, Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, called on FIFA to lift its ban on Iraq being allowed to host competitive international matches, two Asian Champions League games have been postponed until April in the hope that FIFA heeds the request.
Al Zawraa were scheduled to host Bahrain’s Manama Club on Tuesday, while Air Force Club’s home game against Malkiya of Bahrain was to be held a week later.
The AFC has given its own consent to stage fixtures in Iraq but FIFA, whose ruling Council meets next week, have yet to allow the country to host competitive fixtures.
The AFC said it would decide venues for the two matches after the FIFA Council considers the issue.
“FIFA have emphasised that the lifting of the ban on playing matches in Iraq applies only for international friendly matches and that the AFC Cup matches are not friendly games and therefore cannot be staged in Iraq without a change in the current ruling by the FIFA Council,” the AFC said in a statement.
“As the next FIFA Council is to be held on March 15-16, the AFC, in order to provide the Iraqi clubs with an opportunity to play the matches on home soil and in accordance with the AFC Cup Regulations 2018 (Article7.3) have decided to postpone the affected matches until April 16 and 17, 2018.”
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