Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia postponed over security concerns - NHKニュース

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the Asian Cup soccer tournament by nearly a year. The decision follows the worsening security situation in host nation Saudi Arabia amid regional conflict.

The AFC announced on Tuesday that the tournament, originally scheduled for January 7 to February 5, 2027, will instead take place from December 23, 2027, through January 21, 2028.

It said, "Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the Competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders."

The AFC says it will work to hold a successful event while minimizing the impact of the postponement.

Concerns had been growing over how the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and anti-government Houthi forces in neighboring Yemen could affect the event.

Japan Football Association President Miyamoto Tsuneyasu said he respects the AFC's decision to postpone the event, which puts the safety of players, staff, supporters and the media first.

In October, he told reporters after the AFC Extraordinary Congress held in Tokyo that it would not be easy to hold the Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, attention is shifting to how the postponement will affect the tenure of Japan national team head coach Moriyasu Hajime. He had been scheduled to step down after the Asian Cup, before it was postponed.