Al Nassr v Al Wasl: 28 December proposed for postponed AFC Champions League Elite fixture

A proposed date of 28 December has emerged for the postponed AFC Champions League Elite league-stage match between Al Nassr and Al Wasl, although the fixture has not yet received final approval.

Sources within the Asian Football Confederation told Asharq Al-Awsat that the competition department had suggested the date for the match, which was originally due to be played during the third round of the league phase. The proposal remains under consideration by the relevant authorities as discussions continue over how the fixture should be resolved.

The development follows formal action by Al Nassr, who contacted the AFC with a letter accompanied by documents confirming the Saudi club’s readiness to host the match in Riyadh.

The club also said it was prepared to receive the Al Wasl delegation and provide the arrangements required for the game to take place on its original date. Al Nassr has sought to protect its organisational and legal rights after the match failed to go ahead.

The dispute began when Al Wasl’s delegation did not travel to Saudi Arabia, preventing the fixture from being played as scheduled. The circumstances are now being examined by the relevant committees from both legal and logistical perspectives.

Those committees must decide whether the match will be rearranged or whether its outcome will be determined under the competition regulations. No final ruling has yet been announced.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation previously issued a statement confirming that it had been coordinating with Al Nassr and the other relevant parties to receive Al Wasl’s delegation.

It said procedures for flight permits had been completed and that the organisational requirements for staging the match had been provided. The federation also confirmed that the AFC, the United Arab Emirates Football Association and Al Wasl had been informed of the arrangements.

The statement added that the match commissioner and refereeing team had arrived in Riyadh in preparation for the fixture.

The proposed 28 December date therefore remains subject to approval while the AFC completes its review of the events surrounding the abandoned scheduling of the match.