The fear and anxiety among Saudis grows as the days pass. Scheduled from January 7 to February 5, 2027 on Saudi soil, the AFC Asian Cup is threatened with postponement.
The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, stated this week that the competition could be postponed to 2028. He stressed that there was “no urgency” to make a decision.
“We could postpone it by one year, until 2028, if necessary,” he said. “But for the moment, we are monitoring the situation and everything is progressing as planned,” he added. The AFC president could wait until the end of November to make a final decision.
In recent days, Saudi Arabia has been the target of repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, backed by Iran.
The country has suffered several attacks, including two against Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which left 14 dead and 319 wounded.
The war continues to wreak havoc in the region. Several events, including matches in the Saudi football league and e-sport tournaments, have been postponed.
The organization is confident
On its side, the organization is confident about the holding of the competition. It is to be played in the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar.
“Preparations are continuing to progress as planned for the tournament,” said in a statement released by the local organizing committee.
“This work is being carried out in close coordination with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the other stakeholders involved,” the statement adds.
The organizing committee “remains determined to continue preparations and to guarantee the availability of the necessary resources to organize a tournament worthy of the ambitions and standards of Saudi Arabia as host country.”
It will still “continue to monitor the evolution of events related to the tournament and will ensure that the appropriate conditions are in place to ensure its smooth running.”
