Covid-19 travel restrictions force Macau side MUST CPK out of AFC Cup, Hong Kong teams among 3 left in Group J
- Asian Football Confederation confirms move and says no team will be added to group
- Lee Man and Eastern Long Lions will compete with Tainan City for place in Inter-Zone semi-finals
Hong Kong sides Lee Man and Eastern Long Lions will face one less game in Group J of the AFC Cup next month, after Covid-19 restrictions in Macau forced MUST CPK to withdraw.
The Asian Football Confederation confirmed the team’s decision in a statement posted on the governing body’s website on Friday.
There will be no replacement, leaving the two Hong Kong sides and Taiwan’s Tainan City to battle it out for a spot in the Inter-Zone semi-finals.
“The AFC notes the challenges faced by MUST CPK as a result of the travel restrictions in Macau due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the matter will now be referred to the relevant AFC Committees.”
Taiwan had initially been expected to host the Group J matches, but pulled out in April after a surge of Covid-19 cases in the country. Matches will now take place in Buriram, Thailand between June 24 and 30.
The AFC Cup is the confederation’s second tier club competition for developing nations that fail to qualify club sides for the Asian Champions League. The competition managed to complete its season in 2021 having been prematurely ended the year before when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
