The AFC Executive Committee recognised that the pandemic has affected the ability of the AFC to deliver its competitions. With this in mind and taking into consideration the need to prioritise the welfare of young players, as well as the travel and health challenges, the AFC U-16 and AFC U-19 Championships, scheduled for Bahrain and Uzbekistan, have been postponed until early 2021.

In view of the logistics in coordinating the five zones of the AFC Cup and completing the Inter Zone matches, the AFC Executive Committee also agreed that the pandemic created complexities which constituted a Force Majeure event and, with sadness, led to the cancellation of the 2020 competition.

The AFC Solidarity Cup has also been cancelled because of the Force Majeure event and will now be played in 2024 and the AFC Futsal Club Championship UAE 2020 will be cancelled with the United Arab Emirates hosting the next event in 2021.

Nepal is the defending champions of AFC Solidarity cup.

Shaikh Salman added: “These are tough times for everyone connected with football – and sport in general. We are taking steps to ensure the financial well-being of the AFC and its MAs.

“I am certain that with the unity and solidarity for which the AFC has become admired across football, we can overcome this latest challenge.”

The AFC Executive Committee approved the 2019 Audited Financial Statement and the independent Audit Report as well as the revised Budget for 2020. They also approved the members of the AFC Club Licensing Task Force and the AFC Safety and Security Task Force for the remainder of the 2019-2023 term.

The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic mean that the AFC Executive Committee agreed that it was no longer possible to host the 30th AFC Congress in person in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 9, 2020. The 30th AFC Congress will now be held online.