Organisers have insisted the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia remains on track despite a wave of missile and drone attacks across the country.
The Saudi organising committee said on Friday that it was continuing to coordinate closely with the Asian Football Confederation ahead of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5.
“Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services,” the committee said.
It added that its focus remained on delivering a “world-class tournament experience” for teams, supporters and media from across Asia.
The statement followed concerns from South Korea’s Professional Footballers’ Association over the security situation. Lee Keun-ho, head of the players’ union, said the safety of the South Korean national team and all players taking part in the Asian Cup was a serious concern.
His comments came after a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. At least 19 people, including foreign nationals, have been killed in more than a week of attacks targeting Riyadh international airport, the headquarters of oil company Aramco, and other aviation, oil and military facilities.
Several sporting events in Saudi Arabia have already been cancelled or postponed. They include Netflix’s Six Kings Slam tennis tournament, the WTA Finals, which were moved to the United States, several matches involving Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi football club Al-Nassr, and an Olympic qualifying event for BMX cycling.
