Roberto Moreno, interim head coach of the South Korean national football team. [Yonhap]
Roberto Moreno, interim head coach of the South Korean national football team. [Yonhap]

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed the 2027 Saudi Arabia Asian Cup from January to December next year, citing instability in the Middle East.

The AFC announced Tuesday on its website that the tournament, originally scheduled to run from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, in Saudi Arabia, will now be held from Dec. 23, 2027, to Jan. 21, 2028.

The decision was reached after close consultations between the AFC, the Asian Cup Local Organizing Committee and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

The organizing committee said the schedule change was made "in consideration of exceptional circumstances, including serious logistical and travel disruptions caused by shifts in the regional situation." It added that the revised dates would be submitted to FIFA for final approval.

The AFC thanked Saudi Arabia for its commitment to hosting a tournament befitting Asia's most prestigious national team competition, and said it would continue working with the organizing committee, sponsors, broadcast partners and all other stakeholders to minimize the impact of the postponement and ensure a successful event.

Meanwhile, the delay gives South Korea's national team — currently operating under Interim Head Coach Roberto Moreno — more time to prepare for the tournament.

Moreno's contract runs through this month. With the tournament originally set to kick off in January, there had been a real possibility that his deal would simply be extended as-is, but the postponement now gives the Korea Football Association more breathing room to select a permanent head coach.

Moreno's side will play their final A-matches of the year in Doha, Qatar, facing Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and Qatar on Nov. 17.


min3654@heraldcorp.com