August 6 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has released more detail of the centralised locations to complete the groups rounds of the 2020 AFC Cup, the AFC’s baby brother international club competition to its Champions League.
The Bahrain Football Association, Kuwait Football Association and Jordan Football Association will West Zone matches in Groups A, B and C respectively.
All groups had started with one or two games being played by all teams. They will now restart on October 23, 2020 with Group C leaders Qadsia SC from Kuwait taking on Oman’s Dhofar Club. Teams from Groups A and B will restart their campaigns three days later on October 26.
All three groups scheduled to conclude on November 4, 2020 with single-leg West Zonal Semi-finals to take place on November 23 and 24 before the final two teams compete in the West Zonal final on December 1, 2020 for a place in the AFC Cup final against the winners of the Inter-zone play-off on December 12, 2020.
Eastern promise
In the Eastern Zone, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has been confirmed as host for ASEAN Zone Groups F and G matches, which will complete over three match days from September 23 to September 29, 2020.
ASEAN Zonal Semi-finals and Final will be confirmed after the AFC Cup 2020 Knockout Stage draw on August 27, 2020 at the AFC House.
The Maldives had already been confirmed as the centralised venue for the South Zone matches in Group E which will take place from October 23 to November 4, 2020. The winner of the group will be crowned South Zonal champions and will qualify for the Inter-Zone Semi-Finals which will take place on November 24 and 25, 2020.
Champions League centralisation
The AFC has already announced Malaysia will host two of the unfinished AFC Champions League’s East Asian groups as well as the knock-out rounds, assuming travel and quarantine restrictions allow teams to cross international borders.
In the East the group stages have not progressed as far before the coronavirus lockdown suspended play. No East zone team had played more than two matches in their group stages and Chinese clubs have still to start their campaigns. Matches will begin October 17.
In the AFC’s west zone, the 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar will step in to stage the matches in a centralized venue. The West Asian zone includes Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Uzbekistan.
The AFC has planned the competition’s final for December 5, when the two semi-final winning teams from each region will meet.
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