TEHRAN - Iranian football authorities have officially announced that the remainder of the 2023-24 Hazfi Cup will not be played.

The decision comes alongside a broader restructuring of the league schedule by the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI). With the Premier League season being pushed back, federation officials have moved to finalize Iran’s continental representatives for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions.

According to the new directives, Esteghlal and Tractor have secured direct entry into the AFC Elite League. Meanwhile, due to Sepahan’s failure to secure the necessary professional licensing, the final decision regarding their placement in the second tier of the AFC Champions League will be determined based on their final league standings.

The cancellation abruptly ends the Hazfi Cup journey for the eight clubs that had successfully navigated their way to the quarter-finals: Foolad, Gol Gohar, Shams Azar, Saipa, Malavan, Paykan, Khaybar Khorramabad, and Esteghlal.

Hazfi Cup is an Iranian knockout football competition held annually by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran.

The competition was founded in 1976 and Esteghlal are the most successful club with eight titles.