The continent's race begins with the draw...a new date for the 2027 Asian Cup

The Asian Football Confederation announced that it has set a new date for the draw for the 2027 Asian Cup, as it was scheduled to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next May 9, after it was postponed earlier.The decision to postpone came after the draw was scheduled to be held on April 11 in the capital, Riyadh, but regional circumstances and tensions in the Middle East prompted the federation to reschedule the event to ensure its optimal organization.The federation explained that the goal of this decision is to ensure the attendance of all The member federations and representatives of the General Assembly, ensuring full participation in this important continental event.The draw ceremony is expected to be held in the Al-Turaif neighborhood in Diriyah Governorate, which is one of the sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, giving the occasion a distinctive historical character.The statement indicated that the nineteenth edition of the tournament will start on January 7 and continue until February 5 of next year, with the participation of 24 teams from various parts of the continent.He confirmed that 23 teams have already secured qualification, while the last seat will be determined through a decisive match between the Lebanese national team and the Yemeni national team, scheduled for next June 4.The federation concluded its statement by emphasizing that the championship competitions will be held in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar, with the teams distributed into six groups, each group containing four teams.