Siamak Nemati, Mohammadhossein Jamali and Mahan Afrouzian were unable to enter the country ahead of the AFC Champions League Two game, Gol Gohar coach Mehdi Rahmati said.
The three Iranian players returned home, according to the sports outlet Varzesh3. The reasons for the visa refusals have not been disclosed. Rahmati raised the issue at a pre-match press conference, saying sport and football should promote friendship and mutual respect. He said he could not understand why his players had been denied entry and felt it was necessary to speak publicly about the situation.
Gol Gohar were already without nine players for various reasons, including injuries, before setting off. Midfielder Omid Alishah also criticised the match arrangements and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), arguing that the difficulties meant the fixture should have been played at a neutral venue.
The Iranian side was not permitted to fly directly to Turkmenistan and travelled via Mashhad. The players then continued by bus; the journey, including border procedures, took around 10 hours.
Arkadag are scheduled to host Gol Gohar on 4 November at the stadium in Arkadag, with kick-off at 18:45 local time.
Gol Gohar play their home matches in the tournament in Tajikistan after the AFC required Iranian clubs to host opponents at neutral venues because of the security situation. The club chose the stadium in Hisor after the Tajikistan Football Federation agreed to host the team following an official request, Fergana previously reported.
The teams drew 0-0 in Hisor a week before the Arkadag fixture. After three rounds, Arkadag were second in Group B with four points, three behind leaders Al Jazira of the UAE; Gol Gohar had two points. The top two teams qualify for the play-offs. Founded in 2023 in the city of the same name, Arkadag has won the Turkmenistan championship several times and claimed the AFC Challenge League in 2025.