AFC president 'sure' Asian football will resume this season.

KARACHI -- Asia's football chief is optimistic that football will resume on the continent this season despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said on Wednesday that he expects cooperation between Asian countries will help the continent's elite club competition, the AFC Champions League, to resume this season.

The Champions League was suspended in March with just two match-days played and the AFC is since in a race against time to complete the season before the December's FIFA Club World Cup that will feature the Asian champions.

'During this pandemic, we worked with member associations, leagues and clubs, and we are sure that tournaments such as the AFC Champions League will return,' Sheikh Salman said at a webinar titled 'Covid-9 and Football - How to shape a new future', organised by the United Arab Emirates Football Association in partnership with the International Sports Convention.

'It is another demonstration of the AFC's unity and determination to assist its member associations to prosper and for their teams to take part in top level competitions. The world will change but change can be positive. Through solidarity and unity, we will rise together stronger.'

Most of the top domestic leagues in Asia are in various stages of resuming after the virus outbreak and Sheikh Salman said that it represented 'light at the end of the tunnel'.

In an interview with Dawn earlier this week, AFC secretary general Windsor John had said 'all options were being explored' in order to complete the Champions League season.

Only 48 of the scheduled 92 matches were played before the...