The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday the rescheduling of the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia, to start in December 2027 instead of January of the same year, due to "considerations related to logistical arrangements."
The Confederation stated in a press release that, after consulting with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Local Organizing Committee for the Saudi 2027 Asian Cup, it decided to reschedule the next edition of the Asian Cup for national teams, which was originally planned for the period from January 7 to February 5, 2027, to take place during the period from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028, in Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Football Confederation clarified that the decision came following extensive discussions with the Saudi Federation and the Local Organizing Committee "in light of current developments and the associated logistical arrangement considerations." It added that the decision comes "within the framework of the shared commitment to providing optimal conditions for hosting the tournament, ensuring an exceptional experience for the participating teams, fans, and all concerned parties."
For his part, the head of the Local Organizing Committee and President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Hassan Al-Moallem, affirmed the Kingdom's full readiness to host the continental event. Al-Moallem said: "Our preparations to welcome the continent's teams and fans for the previous date (January 2027) were complete according to the approved plans, and we will continue working with the same momentum to reach the new date (December 2027)."
Al-Moallem added in statements relayed by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that organizational plans are proceeding as approved to ensure the delivery of "an exceptional edition befitting the status of Saudi Arabia and the Asian Cup." Saudi Arabia had previously won the right to host the 2027 Asian Cup finals for the first time in its history, during the Ordinary General Assembly meeting of the Asian Football Confederation held in the Bahraini capital Manama in February 2023.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Comments (0)