Postponement and cancellation: the Asian Cup disrupts Saudi Arabia's camp

A new decision

The AFC Asian Cup has thrown Saudi Arabia's plans into disarray, forcing the national team to scrap a key training camp that had been lined up for the coming weeks.

The Asian Football Confederation confirmed the postponement yesterday, Tuesday morning. The tournament, originally due to kick off in January 2027, will now begin in December of the same year.

Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah" report that Greek coach Georgios Donis, who leads the Saudi side, has now called off the camp that was set for the end of this year.

Khobar was to have hosted the preparatory camp, running from 21 December to 3 January.

Two friendlies against Qatar and Palestine had been pencilled in, but the camp and both matches are gone after the Asian Cup slipped back by roughly 11 months.

During that window, expect the Saudi Roshn League to fill the gap, spreading its fixtures across wider slots without the pressure of a packed schedule.

Donis still has one camp to fall back on. The national team will gather between 8 and 17 November for two friendlies against South Korea and Uzbekistan, on the 13th and 17th of the month.