Football takes a hit as Asian Cup postponed amid Middle East tensions

A detailed view of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Final ball prior to the AFC Asian Cup final match between Jordan and Qatar at Lusail Stadium on February 10, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo/ Getty Images)

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup by almost a year because of the conflict in the Middle East and security concerns in Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to host the tournament.A number of sports events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks following Houthi attacks on the country.In a statement on Tuesday, the AFC said it had decided to move the tournament's start date from January 7 to December 23, 2027, after consulting Saudi organisers.The Asian Cup was originally scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5 next year. The new dates for the continental showpiece are December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028.The organising committee “approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC said in a statement.“Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organization and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”

The revised dates, December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, will be submitted to FIFA for approval.The decision ends months of speculation over a possible postponement. Until recently, Saudi organisers had maintained that the tournament would go ahead as scheduled.

As recently as last week, Saudi officials released the kickoff times and finalised the tournament schedule, in a move aimed at assuring Asian football federations that preparations were on track.

This came despite deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.Last month, organising committee spokesman Muhammed Q. Alghamdi told members at an AFC meeting in Tokyo that “daily life is ongoing in Saudi Arabia,” despite the regional hostilities.Before that meeting, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had indicated that the Asian Cup could be postponed by a year if required, saying “we can wait until the end of November” to make a decision.The month-long tournament was scheduled to feature 24 teams playing across eight venues in three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Iran have been drawn in a group with Syria, China and Kyrgyzstan for the league stage.