The possibility of a one-year postponement of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup

The 19th edition of the Asian Nations Cup may be postponed by a year. The post possibility of a one-year postponement of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup appeared first on Safir Arjan.

According to Ambassador Arjan, the Australian Football Federation is closely monitoring the consequences of air attacks on Riyadh International Airport; Because the doubts about holding the Asian Nations Cup in Saudi Arabia, which is planned for January 2027, have increased. According to Saudi officials, multiple Yemeni attacks on King Khalid International Airport over the weekend left at least 14 dead and more than 300 injured.

It is not yet known whether the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has made alternative or emergency plans for the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on January 7. The Asian Football Confederation did not respond to requests for comment.

The spokesperson of the Australian Football Federation said in a statement provided to the "Associated Press Australia" news agency: "The Australian Football Federation is closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia. The safety and health of our players, technical staff and fans is still the main priority.

He added: "Our experienced security team actively monitors developments and regularly provides updated reports. Risk assessment is part of our planning for all national team camps and will be a focus in our preparations for January.

According to the report of the "Associated Press Australia" news agency; It is unlikely that the Asian Football Confederation will have the desire to deprive Saudi Arabia of hosting the Asian Cup and transfer it to another country in a short time, but a more likely scenario, if the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen does not subside in the coming months, is that the tournament will be postponed for 12 months and postponed to January 2028. Such a decision would have implications for several federations, including Australia.

Tony Popovich, the head coach of the Australian national team, has a contract with the Australian Football Federation until the Asian Nations Cup in 2027, but it is not clear whether his contract will be extended if the tournament is postponed by 12 months.

Bo Bush, executive director of the Professional Footballers' Association of Australia (PFA), also stated: "The safety of players, fans and staff should be the main focus of planning and holding the Asian Cup. Through the PFA and FIFPRO, we continue to monitor the situation and have engaged closely with Football Federation Australia and independent experts during this time. Risk assessments are carried out before all camps and will be of vital importance on the eve of the Asian Nations Cup.

Considering that the hosting of the 2034 World Cup has been entrusted to Saudi Arabia, the World Football Federation (FIFA) will closely monitor the developments. The escalation of tensions has definitely increased the concerns of the 23 national teams that are going to travel to Saudi Arabia for this event.

"Etihad" and "Qatar Airways" airlines have postponed their flights to Riyadh, and the main airport of this city is also closed until October 17 (October 25).

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) currently advises citizens of the country to "reconsider the general necessity of their travel in light of the security situation in Saudi Arabia".

Monday night's game of Al-Nasr team in the Asian Elite League was delayed by an hour due to the security warning caused by the Yemeni missile attack, which was intercepted and neutralized.

In April, the F1 Jeddah Grand Prix was canceled and World Rally Championship organizers also decided to drop the Saudi Arabian event, which had been scheduled for November, from the racing calendar.

Meanwhile, South Korea's football federation is considering various scenarios, as the country's senior national team was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for a friendly during the national games break in November.

Australia is also going to be safe against Qatar (Saudi Arabia's neighbor) in Doha and Jordan in the same period of time, and the security experts of the Australian Football Federation have already started risk assessments.

China was supposed to host the Asian Nations Cup in 2023, but due to the country's policies regarding the corona virus epidemic, eight months before the start of the tournament, it withdrew from hosting and Qatar was replaced by China.

Earlier in May, the Australian Football Federation was faced with the issue of rising tensions in the Middle East when the country's under-17 national team traveled to Saudi Arabia to participate in the Asian Nations Cup. That tournament went ahead as planned and the players and their parents received full security briefings before the trip.

Iran's national football team is in the same group as China, Kyrgyzstan and Syria in the 19th edition of the Asian Nations Cup.