TEHRAN – Despite postponement of all Asian qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup, the friendly match between Iran and Uzbekistan will take place as scheduled.

The 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled this year were postponed to 2021 on Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint statement saying the delay is to protect the health and safety of all participants from COVID-19.

Iran national football team will meet Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Sept. 7.

“The Iran national football team training camp will start on Aug. 27 as it planned,” Iran football federation spokesman Amirmahdi Alavi said. “The Asian qualifying matches of the 2022 World Cup have been postponed but our plans go ahead as scheduled.”

Iran, who sit third in Group C behind Iraq and Bahrain, have four must-win matches ahead in the competition.

Deagan Skocic’s team were due to host Hong Kong and Cambodia on Oct. 8 and 13 in Tehran and Phnom Penh, respectively.

Iran also had two matches against Bahrain and Iraq on Nov. 12 and 17 in Tehran but the games will be held in 2021.

The eight group winners of the World Cup qualification’s group stage and four best runners-up will advance to the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The next best 24 teams from the second round of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining 12 slots in the 24-team AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar will run from November 21 to December 18, 2022.