Saudi horse racing launches its most expensive season on Friday, with prizes amounting to 236 million riyals

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, revealed the possibility of postponing the 2027 Asian Cup finals scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia until 2028, stressing at the same time that the Continental Confederation is not in a rush to decide the fate of the tournament.

According to Agence France-Presse, on Thursday, the President of the AFC confirmed, during his speech to reporters in the Swiss city of Zurich, on Wednesday, that all preparations for the tournament are proceeding so far according to the approved timetable.

Salman bin Ibrahim said: “We can wait until the end of November,” referring to the date when the AFC may take a decision on the future of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held during the period from January 7 to February 5, in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar.

The AFC President continued: “If we need to make a decision, we will make it, and we can postpone the tournament by one year to 2028 if the need arises.” He added, "At the present time, we are monitoring the situation, and everything is going according to the specified schedule."

On Thursday, Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province, was briefed on the latest developments in the Aramco Stadium project and its level of readiness to host major sporting and entertainment events, during an inspection visit that included a number of the stadium’s facilities and equipment.

The Emir of the Eastern Province toured the facilities of the sports facility and reviewed the ongoing preparations to host sports competitions and mass events, stressing that the sports and entertainment projects witnessed by the region reflect the development of its infrastructure and the diversity of its facilities, and contribute to strengthening its position as a destination for hosting major events.

Prince Saud bin Nayef stressed the importance of completing the readiness of facilities and equipment according to the highest standards, in a way that meets the aspirations of fans and visitors, and keeps pace with the development witnessed by the sports and entertainment sectors in the Kingdom.

During the visit, Eng. Amin bin Hassan Al-Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco, gave a presentation on the progress of work in the project and the stages of completion, in addition to the technical and technical equipment, facilities and services allocated to the public, and the efforts made to provide an integrated experience for visitors in accordance with international standards.

Aramco Stadium is considered one of the most prominent sports and entertainment projects in the Eastern Province, with a capacity exceeding 47,000 spectators. It is characterized by an architectural design inspired by the marine nature of the region, in addition to modern technical facilities and equipment aimed at improving the fans’ experience and enhancing the Eastern Province’s ability to host sports competitions and major entertainment events.

Terry Olksak, assistant coach of the NEOM team, confirmed his team's readiness to face Al-Ettifaq, stressing the importance of achieving positive results and providing distinguished technical levels that enhance the team's chances of advancing to advanced positions in the Saudi Professional League ranking ladder.

Oleksak said during the press conference that preceded the confrontation: “Al-Ittifaq is a distinguished team and has great players, and our goal is clear, which is to provide distinguished results and levels that will help us reach advanced positions in the ranking table.”

Regarding the absences that NEOM suffers from in the midfield, the assistant coach explained that the technical staff has alternative options capable of dealing with these circumstances, despite the absence of Alaa Al Hajji and Amadou Kone due to injury, indicating that injuries are part of football, and that the team has appropriate solutions to compensate for the absentees, including the possibility of using Abdel Malik Al-Ayiri in the midfield.

Oleksak revealed that the technical staff followed the Al-Ettifaq match against Kazma Al-Kuwaiti, which was held yesterday, stressing that the team will hold an analytical meeting with the players to review the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, and determine the appropriate tactical method for playing the match, which will contribute to achieving the desired result.

Speaking about the pressure of matches during the current period, NEOM’s assistant coach stressed that the intensity of confrontations represents a challenge for all teams, which requires focus and benefit from all elements of the group, stressing the readiness of his players from a physical standpoint, and the role of recovery exercises in maintaining their readiness and preparing them for successive matches.

NEOM aspires to invest its technical and physical options to continue competing in the league, in the face of an agreement that requires, according to the vision of the technical staff, good tactical preparation and the ability to deal with the variables of the match.