AFC Cup postponement relieves LOSC and several Ligue 1 clubs

The postponement of the AFC Cup, originally scheduled from January 7 to February 5, 2027 in Saudi Arabia, comes at just the right time for LOSC. An attack on Riyadh airport, which killed 12 people and injured more than 300 last month, led to an eleven-month delay of the continental tournament, sparing several Ligue 1 clubs from a gap to fill in the middle of the season.

Primary beneficiary: Davide Ancelotti. The Lille manager would have had to do without Ayase Ueda for nearly a month with the Japanese national team. The striker, who suffered a torn plantar fascia in his left foot during the Ligue des Champions match at Arsenal on October 13, is in the process of returning to competition. His retention at Lille for the second half of the season significantly strengthens an attacking sector that lacked depth. Hamza Igamane, seriously injured at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, is also expected on the pitch in December. Calvin Verdonk, Lille’s backup left-back, was also set to play in the tournament with Indonesia.

At 40 years old since September 30, Olivier Giroud cannot carry Lille’s attack alone, even though he has proven his usefulness by scoring the winning goal in the Nord derby against RC Lens (1-0) last Friday, coming on for the final twenty minutes. The 2018 World Cup winner has three goals in Ligue 1 this season.

Other French elite clubs are also breathing easier. At Lyon, Keito Nakamura — in great form since the start of the season — will not be absent while Pavel Sulc is unavailable for four months. His compatriots Ayumu Seko (Le Havre) and Takumi Minamino (Monaco) will also remain available to their respective clubs. Saud Abdulhamid (RC Lens), Musa Al-Taamari (Stade Rennais) and Patrick Beach (Troyes) are in the same situation.