Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League showdown against Esteghlal of Tehran on Tuesday is poised to captivate audiences in India as much as it will in Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced last Tuesday that Esteghlal's home match against Al-Nassr would be relocated to Dubai due to the security situation in Iran.
This decision surprised many in India, especially following the AFC's ruling on Oct. 7 that the Mohun Bagan Super Giants from Kolkata had "withdrawn" from the second-tier AFC Champions League Two after refusing to travel to Iran for their scheduled match against Tractor SC in Tabriz on Oct. 2.
It is not only Al-Nassr’s game that has been relocated.
Tractor’s home game against Ravshan of Tajikistan, scheduled for Wednesday, has also been switched to become an away tie. Iran’s national team also had to move its Oct. 15 World Cup qualifier against Qatar to Dubai.
“Mohun Bagan notes that the AFC has indeed recognized 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 (AP), adding that the confederation had taken the same geopolitical instability into account that the club had. “Failing to apply the same standard to Mohun Bagan would result in unequal treatment by the AFC.”
According to the spokesperson, Mohun Bagan had made a request to the AFC to change the game’s date or venue before it decided 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 said it had appealed the decision to the relevant AFC committee and hoped to be reinstated in the tournament.
The AFC did not respond to an invitation to comment.
Al-Nassr has four points from the first two games and can take a big step toward the second round with a win.
The revamped tournament now consists of two groups of 12, divided into west and east geographic zones, with the top eight from each advancing to the Round of 16.
Al-Nassr is performing well in the Saudi Pro League, with a 97th-minute penalty from Ronaldo giving the team a 2-1 win over Al-Shabab on Friday to stay 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 four top teams in Group A. Al-Hilal is first, and the four-time winner meets defending champion Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates, potentially welcoming Neymar back to action after a year out due to injury. Jeddah club Al-Ahli also has maximum points and travels to Qatar to face Al-Rayyan.
In the eastern zone, the top two teams meet. Gwangju FC of South Korea is making its first-ever appearance in Asian competition and is the only team with two wins from two. It takes on Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia.
Australia’s Central Coast Mariners have lost both games so far and head to China to take on Shanghai Port, coached by former Australian international Kevin Muscat, who is also seeking a first win.
Last season’s defeated finalist, Yokohama F. Marinos, also travels to China to meet Shandong Taishan, while three-time winner Pohang Steelers of South Korea faces Thailand’s Buriram United.
