Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia could be postponed by a year amid Houthi attacks
Football’s Asian Cup, hosted by Saudi Arabia, could be moved back a year to 2028 following a series of attacks on the country by Yemen’s Houthis. The continental tournament will be rescheduled “if we need to” but the organisers are in “no hurry” to make a decision, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim […]
The Asian Cup, set to take place in Saudi Arabia, may be postponed by a year due to a series of attacks by Yemen's Houthis, according to Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. The tournament, originally scheduled to begin on January 7 with matches in Jeddah, Riyadh, and al-Khobar, could now be rescheduled for 2028 if necessary.
Al Khalifa indicated that "we can wait until the end of November" to make the decision, acknowledging that the situation in the region can change quickly for better or worse. The Saudi Civil Defence recently intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh, leading to a one-hour delay in a match featuring Al-Nassr, a team where Cristiano Ronaldo plays.
Three domestic football matches in Saudi Arabia have also been postponed this week due to security concerns. Al Khalifa stated that the organizers are "in no hurry" to make a decision and are currently monitoring the situation.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Why have Saudi air defences failed to intercept Houthi missiles? middleeasteye.net
- Could Israeli technology aid Saudi Arabia's struggles to stop Houthi missile attacks? - analysis jpost.com
- How Chinese parts are fuelling Houthi ambitions to strike Israel and Saudi Arabia timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- FNC Speaker denounces Houthi attacks, reaffirms UAE's solidarity with Saudi Arabia gulfnews.com
- Houthi attacks on saudi arabia cause global oil prices to surge dailytimes.com.pk
- Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia could be postponed by a year amid Houthi attacks aljazeera.com
