The AFC postpones the World Cup qualifiers until next year
The AFC announced today the postponement of all remaining matches from the second round qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and the Asian Cup 2023 to next year due to the continuing outbreak of the new Corona virus.
These qualifiers were originally scheduled to last March, but the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic prevented them from being held on time before the AFC announced its resumption in October and November, before deciding to postpone it again to next year.
The eight group leaders and the four best teams will qualify for the third round. The first four teams qualify in the third round for the World Cup, while the fifth is running an international attaché.
A statement issued by the Confederation of the Game said, "The new dates for the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers will be set at an appropriate time." He added, "FIFA and the AFC are working together to closely monitor the health situation in the region, with the aim of protecting the health and safety of all participants before setting new dates for the qualifying matches."