Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League match against Esteghlal from Tehran on Tuesday will attract attention in India as much as in Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced last Tuesday that Esteghlal had to move its home game against Al-Nassr to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates because of security issues in Iran.
This decision surprised many in India, especially since on October 7, the AFC had ruled that Mohun Bagan Super Giants from Kolkata were “considered to have withdrawn” from the lower-tier AFC Champions League Two after they refused to travel to Iran for their match against Tractor SC on October 2 in Tabriz.
It’s not just Al-Nassr’s game that has been moved. Tractor’s match against Ravshan from Tajikistan, set for Wednesday, has also been changed to an away game. Iran’s national team also had to relocate its October 15 World Cup qualifier against Qatar to Dubai.
“…(Mohun Bagan) notes that the AFC has indeed recognised the volatility of the situation in Iran and as such, has rescheduled or shifted venues for several games,” a spokesperson for Mohun Bagan told the Associated Press.
They added that the confederation considered the same geopolitical issues that the club did. “Failing to apply the same standard to Mohun Bagan would result in unequal treatment by the AFC.”
A spokesperson said that Mohun Bagan had asked the AFC to change the date or location of the game before deciding not to travel.
“We consistently communicated concerns about the volatile and unsafe conditions in and around Iran, particularly regarding the safety of players and staff,” the official added.
The Indian Super League club mentioned that it had appealed the decision to the appropriate AFC committee and hoped to be allowed back into the tournament. The AFC did not respond to a request for comments.
Al-Nassr has four points from its first two games and can move closer to the second round with a win. The tournament has changed to include two groups of 12, divided into west and east zones, with the top eight from each group advancing to the Round of 16.
Al-Nassr is performing well in the Saudi Pro League, with Ronaldo scoring a penalty in the 97th minute to secure a 2-1 victory over Al-Shabab on Friday, keeping the team in third place.
“There are a lot of games at the moment and it is not easy,” said Stefano Pioli, Al-Nassr’s coach. “We will do our best to maintain our performances in the Asian Champions League.”
Saudi Arabia has three of the top four teams in Group A. Al-Hilal is in first place and, as a four-time winner, is set to face the defending champion Al Ain from the UAE, possibly welcoming Neymar back after a year out due to injury. Jeddah club Al-Ahli also has maximum points and will travel to Qatar to play against Al-Rayyan.
