At the 33rd General Assembly of the Asian Football Confederation held in Manama, Bahrain on February 1, Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
A circulating claim has reported that Palestine and Turkmenistan abstained from voting in support of Saudi Arabia while 43 of the 45 participating countries voted in favor of the Saudi bid. The claim triggered a heated debate on social media and drew criticism from the Saudi press.
Technical Error or Refusal to Vote?
The President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Misehal, addressed the issue in a video featured in the Saudi newspaper, Arriyadiyah. Al-Misehal clarified that a technical error hindered the votes from Palestine and Turkmenistan. He also emphasized that both associations are strong supporters of the Saudi association.
Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestinian Football Association, also acknowledged the technical error made by their representative during the voting process. Rajoub stated that he was forced to leave the meeting due to health reasons, and apologized to the Secretary General of the Saudi Federation.
Susan Shalabi, Vice President of the Palestinian Football Association and a member of the Executive Office of the Asian Confederation, provided further clarification in a video featured in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. She explained that a technical malfunction caused the voting device to be inactive, leading to the incorrect results. Shalabi asserted that Palestine has always supported Arab countries in both public and secret votes and would never act against them.
Saudi Arabia, Sole Bidder to Host 2027 Asian Cup
Saudi Arabia has been selected to host the 2027 Asian Cup as the sole remaining candidate, following the withdrawals of Uzbekistan, Iran, and India, and the disqualification of Qatar due to their hosting duties in 2024.
The "Saudi Arabia 2027" committee tasked with overseeing the preparations for the tournament has unveiled designs for new stadiums, as well as updates on the redevelopment of existing facilities. The capital, Riyadh, is slated to receive two new stadiums in Qiddiya and the northern regions, while further stadium construction is planned for Dammam in the east and within the city of Riyadh itself.
With three previous Asian Cup victories to its name, Saudi Arabia is now poised to make history as the host of the tournament for the first time since its inception in the 1950s.
Misbar’s Sources
