Soccer-Al Sadd player positive for COVID-19 ahead of AFC Champions League clash

One player from Qatar's Al Sadd has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their AFC Champions League match against Al Ain, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday. Al Sadd who are in Group D of Asia's elite club competition are scheduled to take on their opponents from the United Arab Emirates in the West Asian hub of Qatar later on Tuesday.

"All the appropriate medical support is being given to the team," the AFC said in a statement. "The player who tested positive is under medical supervision in a quarantined environment as required by the safety measures and COVID-19 protocols put in place for the tournament."

Five players and one member of staff from Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal and a player from Qatar's Al Duhail had previously tested positive for COVID-19. Seven months after grinding to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, action in the competition got underway again on Monday with three games.

Matches in the four East Asian groups will resume in a hub in Malaysia in October. The final will be in Doha on Dec. 19. This year's edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's second-tier club competition, was cancelled amid the pandemic.

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