Women's Asian Cup qualifiers moved from Jordan to Qatar amid Israel-Iran conflict
Group A fixtures in the upcoming Women's Asian Cup qualifiers have been postponed and moved from Jordan to Qatar amid conflict between Israel and Iran.
Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Singapore, and Bhutan comprise the group, with matches initially due to take place in Amman — the capital of Jordan — between June 23 and July 5.
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The Football Association of Singapore said in a statement on Thursday that its matches would no longer take place in Jordan due to the 'ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by several Participating Member Associations (PMAs) as reasons for the change.'
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Friday that matches would instead be taking place in Qatar between July 7 and July 19, with the draw for the final tournament set to take place on July 29. The AFC said further details on the venues and match timings for the Group A qualifiers will be announced 'in due course'.
Jordan is a neighbouring country of Israel, with Amman approximately 110km east of Tel Aviv, and is separated from Iran by Iraq.
On June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran and the countries have since been exchanging missile attacks.
Singapore captain Rosnani Azman said, via the Singapore team website: 'Of course we were looking forward to competing, but safety comes first. As a team, we've always believed in adapting and staying ready. We'll keep training hard and supporting one another, and make sure we're ready when the time comes.'
The Women's Asian Cup, hosted in Australia, takes place from March 1 to March 21 2026, with Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast its host cities.
China beat South Korea 3-2 in the 2022 Asian Women's Cup final to claim a record-extending ninth title in Navi Mumbai. They, along with Australia, South Korea and Japan, have automatically qualified for next year's main tournament.
(A photo of the Iran women's team at the 2022 Asian Cup, Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
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