A ballistic missile delays the start of Al Nassr's AFC Champions League Elite match!

What happened?

Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiah" has revealed why Al Nassr's clash with Uzbekistan's Neftchi kicked off more than a quarter of an hour late on Monday evening, in the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite. The scheduled start time coincided with security developments in the capital, Riyadh.

The spokesman for the coalition forces announced the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh, according to the newspaper. Supporters were already inside Al-Awwal Park, settling in for the Asian encounter.

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As the delay stretched on, the public address system at Al-Awwal Park sent a message to the supporters in attendance, urging them not to be afraid or to leave the stadium and to remain in their seats, stressing that the situation was safe.

That announcement kept the stands calm through the wait, and attention soon turned back to the pitch.

Al Nassr had been preparing to face Neftchi in the second round of the league phase, chasing a positive result in front of their own supporters to make up for their slip-up in the opening round.

Supporters were left waiting well beyond the scheduled time, and the pre-match buzz drained away. Messages of reassurance echoed round the stadium. Then the continental clash finally got under way.