Missile Hits Airport, Shall We Watch Football? / Fear and Panic in Saudi Arabia, Asian Cup Heads to Australia

The chaotic security situation in Saudi Arabia has led Asian countries to express doubts about traveling to the kingdom, and Australia may host the Asian Cup instead of Saudi Arabia.

According to Sport Se, the increase in tension in West Asia and Yemen's Ansarullah's response to Saudi Arabia's aggression with successive missile attacks on Riyadh International Airport has caused South Korea's preparatory meeting against Saudi Arabia to be on the verge of cancellation. But the story has bigger dimensions and even the hosting of the Asian Nations Cup has been placed in an aura of uncertainty.

The flames of the crisis in the Middle East as a result of the aggressions of the United States and the Zionist regime have engulfed Asian football and especially the South Korean national team. In the past few days, the rockets hitting the Saudi capital and especially the airports have caused some Asian teams to doubt about traveling to this country for the Asian Nations Cup. Especially South Korea. The preparatory camp for Roberto Moreno's students was supposed to be held in Saudi Arabia in November, and the Koreans planned to play a friendly match with Saudi Arabia in this camp. But now, not only this camp will be almost certainly canceled, but even the Asian Nations Cup may not be held!

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was the target of a missile attack by Yemeni Ansarullah forces on October 10. Saudi Arabia announced that 13 people were killed in this attack and 300 people were injured. A day later, on October 11, another projectile hit the airport terminal, killing one person and injuring 11 people. This was while the forces of Ansarullah had previously announced in an official statement that due to the air blockade of the Yemeni nation by Saudi Arabia, Ansarullah has also adopted the policy of blockade against blockade. Ansarullah asked the whole world to refrain from visiting Saudi airports and traveling to this country due to the implementation of this policy.

In the past days, the sound of multiple explosions in the heart of Riyadh has become a normal occurrence every day, and the security situation in Saudi Arabia has reached the most critical point. This is the description that the South Korean media wrote today: the security situation in Saudi Arabia is critical.

As the situation became critical, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the security alert level for travel to Saudi Arabia to stage three, "recommendation to leave" at 10:00 p.m. on October 11th. Seoul issued an urgent warning to its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia except for absolutely urgent cases, and travelers to this country to cancel or postpone their travel plans.

This official warning means that the South Korean national team, which was supposed to go to Saudi Arabia for a camp under the temporary leadership of Roberto Moreno, will not hold this camp. South Korea planned to go to Riyadh in the November FIFA World Cup, which will be held between the 9th and 17th of November, to simulate the Asian Nations Cup and hold a friendly match with the Saudi national team.

On the 7th of October, Al-Riyazia newspaper announced the finalization of this match with South Korea, as well as Saudi Arabia's match with Uzbekistan. But the Korean media announced that it is impossible to send the stars of the Korean national team to the country that the government in Seoul has issued an official order to leave.

With less than a month left before this camp, finding a new opponent and coordinating a neutral ground has put an overwhelming challenge in front of the Korean Football Federation.

Worry, but this is not only FIFA Day and a preparatory game. The main concern is the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, which should be opened on January 7, according to the schedule. The war-torn city of Riyadh is one of the three main focal points of hosting this major continental event, and with the spread of unrest, whispers of denying Saudi Arabia the host and choosing an alternative country can be heard in the administrative corridors of Asian football.

A scenario that was raised before and in April with the Guardian's report about Australia's chances to be replaced as an emergency host.

Of course, we must remind that this scenario is not the first time. Even in the month of April and in the peak days of the Ramadan war, when our country was under the criminal attack of America and the Zionist regime, the Guardian newspaper wrote in a revealing article that the countries of East Asia are not ready to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Nations Cup, and there have been discussions in the AFC to replace Australia as the host, instead of Saudi Arabia.

One of the directors of the South Korean Football Federation, in a conversation with the media of this country, confirmed this complicated situation and announced that the federation is following the situation in close and continuous contact with the Asian Football Confederation. According to him, the decision to host the Nations Cup is in the hands of the AFC, but regarding the preparatory game in November, the directors of the Korean Federation have discussed substitute options so that the Korean convoy is not sent to the dangerous area.