Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia to be postponed

Next year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia will be postponed from January to December due to “exceptional circumstances” in the region, the continent’s governing body said yesterday.

A number of sports events in Saudi Arabia have been canceled or postponed in the past few weeks following Houthi attacks on the country.

The Asian Cup was originally scheduled to take place from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 next year.

Saudi Arabia captain Salem al-Dawsari shows the paper slip of Saudi Arabia during the final draw of next year’s Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on May 9.

Photo: AFP

The new dates for the continental showpiece are Dec. 23 next year to Jan. 21, 2028.

“The organizing committee for AFC Asian Cup approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region,” the AFC said in a statement.

It also cited “substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions.”

“The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval,” it added.

Local organizers last month said that the Asian Cup was “on schedule,” despite growing fears for the fate of the tournament because of the security situation in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

The Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Al-Khobar are set to stage the month-long competition.

The decision to move the tournament back almost a year came after “extensive discussions and close consultation” between Saudi Arabian officials and the AFC, the Kuala Lumpur-based governing body said.

“Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders,” it said.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have targeted Saudi infrastructure, including airports, since hostilities resumed.

The Houthis are fighting a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, a civil war that reignited in July following a years-long truce.

Next year’s Dakar Rally was moved out of Saudi Arabia last month.

An exhibition tennis tournament due to feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev was postponed.

The WTA Finals were also scheduled to be held in Riyadh, but will instead take place at Indian Wells, California.

Domestic soccer matches and Asian Champions League games have also been impacted.

The AFC was under growing pressure from Asian soccer associations to postpone the tournament out of fears for player and fan safety.

Following the announcement of the postponement, Yasser al-Misehal, chairman of the local organizing committee, vowed that Saudi Arabia was “fully ready.”

“The tournament will move to the new dates, and our preparations will continue as planned,” he told the Saudi Press Agency. “We’re working closely with the AFC and all our partners to make sure the tournament runs smoothly and meets the high standards expected of Saudi Arabia and the Asian Cup.”

The organization representing South Korean players was among those that had expressed severe reservations about the competition going ahead early next year.

“The ongoing military tensions and security instability in the Middle East are issues that cannot be taken lightly,” Korea Professional Footballers Association president Lee Keun-ho told Yonhap News Agency last month.

“No tournament’s value can take precedence over the lives and safety of players and football fans,” Lee was quoted as saying.