Abu Dhabi: UAE Football Federation (UAEFA) and Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) are ready to allow their clubs to travel and host the Qatari clubs during their 2018 AFC Champions League campaign.

Their decision after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee shot down the recommendations of the neutral commission, chaired by the AFC Vice-President, Praful Patel and security studies company European Independent Control Reis. The AFC had sent a delegation led by Patel to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE last month.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the UAEFA said: “The participation in the AFC Champions League comes despite the strong reservation on the way and mechanism of issuing the decision by the AFC Executive Committee, which did not take the recommendations of the neutral committee which was set up by the AFC itself.”

Though UAE expressed their displeasure over the AFC’s stand, they agreed to abide with AFC’s decision to play the matches on home and away basis instead of their preferred neutral venue.

The UAEFA said: ‘It will provide all the facilities and support to their teams to participate in the 2018 AFC Champions League competition, despite their strong reservations about the manner and mechanism of the decision and the failure to adopt the recommendations of the neutral Commission.’

AFC, meanwhile, maintained that the decision to keep the home-and-away format was made after an independent safety and security assessment was completed.

“The Executive Committee decided at their meeting in November 2017 in Bangkok to follow the home-and-away format as per regulations and an AFC delegation led by Senior Vice President Praful Patel, accompanied by AFC Executive Committee members Mariano Araneta Junior and Dr Tran Quoc Tuan, visited Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in early January to explain the decision,” the AFC said in a statement on their official website.

“At the same time a specialist international risk agency was asked to provide an independent and impartial assessment on the safety and security of the countries involved and the impact on the AFC competitions – particularly the home and away format

“The AFC Executive Committee has decided that the home and away format – as per AFC Regulations and in line with their November 2017 decision – should be followed,” the continental body added.

AFC General Secretary Windsor John also sent out a letter to top Fifa and AFC officials, saying that the format of the tournament stays “as per normal practice.”

Since June last year, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain has been involved in a diplomatic row with Qatar on charges of backing terrorism. The countries have also imposed a travel ban in and out of Qatar.

It will be interesting to see what policy these countries adopt with regards to their club fans travel during matches as the travel ban is still on.

Meanwhile, one more club from UAE and Qatar can still qualify for the tournament from the play-offs. UAE’s Al Wasl are in Group C along with Qatar’s Al Sadd, while in Group B UAE’s Al Wahda is placed with Qatar’s Al Duhail. One more club from both countries can qualify for the tournament from the playoffs.

UAE’s Al Ain will make it if they can win their contest against Bahrain’s Malkiya on Tuesday, while Qatar’s Al Gharafa will make through if they can get the better of Usbek Club Pakhtakor Tashkent.