Al-Nassr leaves star out in Tashkent as security fears shadow Asian Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo has reached 985 career goals, a milestone he achieved last week in a Saudi Pro League match. Despite that recent output, the Al-Nassr forward was left off the roster for Monday’s away game against Pakhtakor in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His absence marks the second consecutive week the 42-year-old has been rested for a major club fixture.

Coach Ange Postecoglou explained the decision during a press conference in Uzbekistan. He cited the cumulative pressure of recent matches and the extensive travel required by the continental schedule. Postecoglou also benched Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan for the same reasons. The decision comes as Al-Nassr seeks its first ever Asian club title, though the team currently sits ninth in the western zone group.

The league’s five Saudi representatives are competing in a 32-team tournament split into two groups of 16. The top eight teams from each zone will advance to the knockout stage. Al-Nassr is the lowest-ranked of its domestic peers in this competition. Postecoglou noted that despite a slow start and initial lack of readiness, the squad has now reached an excellent stage of preparation.

Security concerns in the region have directly impacted the competition’s calendar. Last week, Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates declined to travel to Riyadh, leading the Asian Football Confederation to postpone that match. Prior to that, Al-Nassr’s home game on Oct. 12 was delayed by one hour following reports of missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Other Saudi clubs are navigating similar logistical hurdles. Al-Ahli, the two-time defending champion, is third in its group and prepares to face Al-Sadd in Qatar. The Jeddah club lost 6-1 at home on Friday but is expected to field England striker Ivan Toney. Toney, who has 13 league goals this season, recently returned to London to plead not guilty to an assault charge.

In the Saudi Pro League, Ollie Watkins scored for Al-Hilal in a victory that gave the Riyadh club five straight wins. That streak has placed them at the top of the league table. Al-Hilal hosts Shabab Al-Ahli of the United Arab Emirates in their next fixture. While that domestic match is expected to proceed, questions linger regarding the international calendar.

The Asian Cup is scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 7. Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto expressed doubt that the tournament will proceed as planned. Speaking at an AFC Congress last month, Miyamoto stated that the situation remains unsafe and that holding the event in Saudi Arabia would not be easy at this point.

AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa indicated that organizers are monitoring the region closely before making final calls. He noted that conditions can change rapidly for better or worse. Salman said the governing body could wait until the end of November to assess the situation. If a decision becomes necessary, the tournament could be moved back a year to 2028.

Saudi organizers maintain that preparations are continuing according to schedule. They finalized kick-off times and venues for all matches last week. The next critical date for the continental calendar is Monday’s match in Tashkent, which will test the viability of away games for Saudi clubs in the current security climate.