The Asian Football Confederation will resolve the crisis regarding the match between Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and Machida, following the UAE team’s protest filed in the past few hours against the match referee’s decisions.

An Asian Football Confederation meeting will be held today, Thursday, to discuss Shabab Al Ahli Dubai’s protest against the events that occurred during the Machida match in the AFC Champions League Elite semi-final. If the protest is accepted, the match will be played next Saturday, while the final will be held next Tuesday.

Legal expert Ahmed Al Shaikhi confirmed that if the match referee’s actions are deemed a technical error, the Asian Confederation will issue a decision in the coming hours to officially order a replay of the match.

Al Ahli is preparing for the final match after qualifying by winning 3-0 against Vissel Kobe in the match that brought the two teams together as part of the AFC Champions League Elite competition.

Shabab Al Ahli Dubai

Shabab Al Ahli Dubai is a professional football club based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was formed in 2017 through the merger of three historic clubs—Al Ahli, Al Shabab, and Dubai CSC—creating a single powerful team. The club has quickly become a major force in Emirati football, winning the UAE Pro League and other domestic titles.

Machida

Machida is a city in the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, known for its blend of urban and natural landscapes. Historically, it developed as a post town on the Ōyama Road during the Edo period and later became a residential suburb of Tokyo. Today, it features cultural sites like the Machida Squirrel Garden and the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts.

Vissel Kobe

Vissel Kobe is a professional football club based in Kobe, Japan, competing in the J1 League. Founded in 1966 as Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club, it was renamed Vissel Kobe in 1995 and later became a prominent team in Japanese football, notably signing global stars like Andrés Iniesta in 2018. The club’s name “Vissel” combines the words “victory” and “vessel,” symbolizing a ship of triumph.