Al-Ettifaq set to miss Gulf Club Championship match in Iraq

Al-Ettifaq are planning not to travel to Iraq for their Gulf Club Championship fixture against Erbil, despite the Gulf Football Federation rejecting their request to postpone the match.

The Group B game is scheduled for Wednesday, with the Saudi club citing its inability to travel to Iraq at the present time. According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, Al-Ettifaq has informed the Gulf Football Federation of its position and is prepared to accept any sanctions resulting from the decision.

The club expects to be awarded a 3-0 defeat and receive a financial penalty. However, officials believe the punishment will not extend to cancelling Al-Ettifaq’s results or removing them from the competition.

The dispute comes shortly after a similar issue affected the AFC Champions League Elite fixture between Al Nassr and Al Wasl.

The Asian Football Confederation announced on Sunday that the match, which had been due to take place on Monday evening, was postponed until further notice because Al Wasl were unable to reach Saudi Arabia.

The decision prompted anger among Saudi football circles. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation subsequently issued a statement saying that all arrangements had been in place to receive the UAE club’s delegation normally.

Al-Ettifaq currently top their group in the Gulf Club Championship with three points. They earned those points by beating Kazma of Kuwait 2-0 in the opening round.