Saudi League postpones Abha v Al-Faisaly after flight disruption

The Saudi League Association has postponed Abha’s match against Al-Faisaly in the eighth round of the competition after Al-Faisaly were unable to reach the Abha area because of flight-related problems.

The fixture had been scheduled for Sunday 11 October but will now be played on Tuesday 27 October.

The association said the decision followed a review of the circumstances surrounding the match and was made in line with its approved organisational procedures.

It added that the postponement would allow the authorities to deal with circumstances beyond the clubs’ control while maintaining the regular progress of the competition.

Al-Faisaly had not reached the boundaries of Abha by late Saturday night because of issues connected to their flight, according to Saudi sports newspaper Al Riyadiyah.

The Saudi League Association had initially been considering a delay of only 24 hours after Al-Faisaly’s failure to arrive. However, the decision announced on Sunday morning moved the match back by more than two weeks.

Both teams will go into the rearranged fixture still seeking their first league victory of the season.

Al-Faisaly have collected three points from seven matches, while Abha have two points after seven rounds.