TEHRAN – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that two Iranian football teams Esteghlal and Shahr Khodro will have to meet their opponents in the UAE.

Esteghlal and Kuwait SC match was originally scheduled for Tuesday in Tehran but according to the new fixture, the Iranian team should meet their Kuwaiti side at the Alawir Stadium in Dubai on Saturday.

Shahr Khodro, who had to meet Riffa in Mashhad on Tuesday, have to face the Bahraini football club at the Sharjah Stadium in Sharjah on Saturday.  

A few days ago, AFC sent a letter to the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) telling them that they would not be hosting AFC Champions League matches for the foreseeable future.

In response to the AFC’s decision, four Iranian clubs – Persepolis, Sepahan, Esteghlal and Shahr Khodro - announced that they will withdraw from the tournament if the AFC insists on its decision.

On Thursday, the General Managers of the four clubs will leave Tehran for Kuala Lumpur to meet the senior officials of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) over the issue.