Postponements redraw the competition path.. and the lead goes to Al-Qadsiah

The league attributed the adjustments to "regulatory procedures approved for managing the competition schedule, taking into account the various teams' commitments and the logistical and operational considerations necessary for holding the matches, in addition to ensuring minimum rest periods between matches."

The three postponed matches joined the Abha vs. Al-Faisaly match, which had already been postponed to October 27.

According to press reports, Al-Faisaly was unable to reach Abha in the previous round due to circumstances related to their flight.

Saudi airports, including Abha International Airport, are subject to attacks and assaults by drones and ballistic missiles launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis.

The tense regional security situation has extended to the Asian Cup scheduled in Saudi Arabia early next year, as Bahraini Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, confirmed that the tournament could be postponed "if the need arises," while the local organizing committee confirmed "continuing its preparations to host the tournament," despite a series of Houthi attacks on the Kingdom.

Al-Hilal is the most affected

Locally, Hammad Al-Dossari, former director of the Al-Riyadh team, does not rule out that the postponed matches will affect the path of the title race, saying that "some teams may benefit greatly, while others may be harmed."

Al-Dossari added to Agence France-Presse (AFP), "I think Al-Riyadh may be one of the teams that will not be greatly affected by this postponement, although the pressure of matches in the future may affect it, especially in light of it currently receiving an additional rest period, and the possibility of facing a team returning from an Asian tournament, and it may find itself forced to play its matches later in a compressed time frame."

Regarding the competition for the lead, the former professional director at the capital club confirms that the postponement of some matches may affect the path of the competition, "For example, the Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli match will be held in March, i.e., after a relatively long period, and it is expected that the features of the title race will have become largely clear by that time."

However, Al-Dossari believes that Al-Hilal is the most affected by the postponement decision, especially since it lost the lead to Al-Qadsiah, "I think Al-Hilal was capable of winning, therefore, its loss of the lead as a result of the postponement may have an impact on the competition calculations."

Al-Nassr benefits

Al-Dossari concludes that Al-Nassr is one of the teams that benefits most from the postponement, especially in light of the injuries suffered by some of its players during its Asian participation, including the French duo Mohamed Simakan and Kingsley Coman, "The postponement of the match will give Al-Nassr a chance to catch its breath and recover."

The brilliance of the "Banu Qads"

At its stadium in Dammam, and in front of five thousand spectators, the "Knight of the Eastern Province" did not miss the opportunity to pounce on the lead, overcoming Abha 2-1 in a match that saw the brilliance of its international star Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, who scored the second goal.

The "Banu Qads" star received remarkable praise from his Northern Irish coach Brendan Rodgers, who said that the "Gulf 27" champion with the "Green Falcons" has the qualifications to succeed if he plays professionally in the English Premier League, but he stressed his desire for the player to continue with his team to continue developing.

The former Liverpool coach noted the "fatigue that was evident on some of his team's elements during the match, especially after returning from the 1-1 draw with Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the AFC Champions League Elite."

Rodgers did not want to open the battle for the Al-Hilal match in the round after next, contenting himself with saying, "Today, the team's top scorer (Mexican Julian) Quiñones and a number of other players were absent, and we will give some elements rest before facing Al-Hilal."

He added, "We think about each match individually, and we will not be preoccupied with Al-Hilal before preparing for our match against Al-Taawoun."

Batna brings joy to Sellami

From Ar Rass, Moroccan Mourad Batna gifted his compatriot coach Jamal Sellami his first win with Al-Fateh at the expense of Al-Hazem 3-2, healing the wounds of the heavy loss that the "Model" suffered against Al-Ahli 0-4 last week.

The Moroccan star shot a free kick from the right side with his left foot directly towards the goal, for it to embrace the net and gift his team a victory that "represents an important step towards restoring balance and getting out of the difficult situation," according to Sellami.

The former Jordan national team coach hoped that the win would be the beginning of a new start, praising the strength of his players' character and their reaction after the heavy loss against Al-Ahli.

Portuguese coach José Gomes of Al-Khaleej described the victory over Al-Fayha as a very important win, confirming that the three points will reflect positively on the team's atmosphere, after his players succeeded in capitalizing on opportunities during the second half and reaping a long-awaited victory.

At the conclusion of the round, fifth-placed Neom missed the opportunity to get closer to the lead after suffering a surprise home loss against Al-Ettifaq 0-1.