The effect of historic flooding in the United Arab Emirates has affected this weekend’s men’s A-League schedule, with Central Coast Mariners vs Adelaide United canceled due to the Mariners failing to return home on time from Dubai .
The A-Leagues announced the postponement on Thursday afternoon, three days before the game.
The Mariners played the first leg of their AFC Cup interzonal playoff against Kyrgyzstan champion Abdish-Ata Kant on Wednesday night.
The Mariners led 1-0 through Brian Kaltack before Abdish-Ata Kant equalized in the third minute of stoppage time through Magamed Uzdenov.
They were scheduled to fly home via Dubai to take on Adelaide in Gosford on Sunday at 4:50pm AEST, before playing the second leg of the AFC Cup at the same venue next Wednesday at 7:00pm. AEST.
However, Central Coast players, coaches and staff are among a large number of people and organizations affected by torrential rain in the United Arab Emirates, which led to the diversion and cancellation of flights at Dubai International Airport.
In Dubai, operations at the airport, a major travel hub, remain disrupted after Tuesday’s storm flooded the runway, causing flight diversions, delays and cancellations.
The airport said Thursday morning that it had resumed receiving incoming flights at Terminal 1, used by foreign airlines, but that flights remain delayed and disrupted.
Emirates, the largest airline at the airport, said it would resume passenger check-in into Dubai at 9am (3pm AEST) on Thursday, delaying the restart from midnight by nine hours.
The A-Leagues announcement confirmed the impossibility of continuing with Sunday’s match.
“Due to the Central Coast Mariners’ flight cancellations from Dubai Airport on their return route from Kyrgyzstan, and the rerouting of flights due to adverse weather conditions in the region, the Round 25 match of The men’s A-League scheduled for this Sunday must be postponed,” the league statement said.
“We will share more information in the coming days regarding the rescheduled date following further consultation with clubs, the FA and depending on the AFC Cup schedule.”
ABC/Reuters