Abha club's stadium crisis threatens its progress in the Saudi Professional League
Real suffering for 'The Leader of the South' before the start of the new season
Anger and resentment are mounting in Abha's sporting circles, the home of Abha FC, nicknamed "The Leader of the South," due to the club being denied access to its long-awaited main stadium. After years of anticipation, the club's new facility has failed to meet the standards of the Saudi Professional League, placing the team in a difficult position before the start of the new Saudi Professional League season and forcing it to play its home matches away from its fans.
Background to the crisis: A dream turned into a nightmare
The story of Abha Club's facilities began in 2011 with the laying of the foundation stone for a project intended to be a game-changer for the club and sports in the Asir region. However, the project stalled for many years before finally opening in 2022 in the presence of the Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, and the Governor of Asir, Prince Turki bin Talal. Despite the initial jubilation, serious technical and engineering flaws in the main stadium soon became apparent, most notably its failure to meet the standards set by FIFA and the Saudi Professional League, particularly regarding the dimensions of the pitch and penalty area, in addition to a lack of basic facilities such as adequate parking.
Negative effects on the team and fans
This situation has deprived the first football team of its most important assets: home advantage and fan support. The club is currently forced to play its matches at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Al-Mahala, which requires fans to travel longer distances and results in low attendance that falls short of the support needed for a team competing in the region's strongest league. Several former players, such as Mohammed Abu Arad and Nasser Al-Qahtani, expressed their deep regret, describing the stadium as a "disaster" and a "black mark" on the club's record, and emphasizing that the team has lost valuable points that could have been won had they played at home in front of their supporters.
Calls for a radical solution and accountability for those responsible
Voices in Abha, from former officials and media figures to fans, agree on the urgent need for a radical solution to this problem. Dr. Yahya Jaber, the club's former general supervisor of football, questioned who was responsible for accepting a project with such significant flaws. Sports journalist Hassan Al-Qubaisi emphasized that Abha Club is among the few clubs that have not benefited from their facilities, placing the blame on the entity that designed and implemented the project without adhering to the required standards. Everyone hopes that the current club administration, headed by Saad Al-Ahmari, will take action in coordination with the Ministry of Sports to rectify the situation and modify the stadium to meet official requirements, especially given the tremendous development witnessed in the Roshan League and the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to raise the level of sports infrastructure throughout the Kingdom.
