Between a replay and a withdrawal: a new surprise regarding the match between Al-Nassr and Al-Wasl

The file on the postponed match between Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr and the UAE's Al-Wasl has entered a new phase. A proposed date has emerged for the fixture that went unplayed in the third round of the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite, with consultations ongoing inside the continental body over how to settle its fate.

Sources at the Asian Football Confederation told "Asharq Al-Awsat" newspaper that the competitions department has put forward 28 December as a new date for the match. The proposal has yet to receive final approval and remains under review by the relevant authorities.

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Al-Nassr's management made a formal move with the Asian Football Confederation, sending a letter backed by documents that confirm the club's readiness to host the fixture in Riyadh. The club stressed it could receive the Al-Wasl delegation and provide every arrangement needed to stage the match on its original date.

At the heart of the crisis is the Emirati team's delegation, who never travelled to the Kingdom. That failure stopped the fixture going ahead on schedule and pushed Al-Nassr to demand protection of its organisational and legal rights.

The relevant committees are still examining the circumstances of the incident, from both the legal and logistical angles, before reaching their final decision: either reschedule the match or settle its result under the regulations.

In an official statement, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirmed it had coordinated with Al-Nassr and the relevant authorities to receive the Al-Wasl delegation. It said flight permit procedures had been completed and organisational requirements provided, with the Asian and Emirati federations and the Emirati club all notified.

The match commissioner and the refereeing crew had arrived in Riyadh in readiness for the fixture.