Source:REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari
[Saba Sports News] In the playoff for third place in the Arab Cup, which was previously interrupted due to bad weather, Saudi Arabia faced the UAE, with the score at 0-0 when the match temporarily halted. However, instead of rescheduling, it was announced that both teams would share the third-place honor, a decision that sparked considerable controversy.
FIFA’s explanation indicated that the tournament’s closing day is immediately followed by the final, and there are no spare match days. Rescheduling would significantly increase organizational costs and create scheduling conflicts, so awarding joint third place and splitting the prize money was deemed the best solution under the existing rules.
However, fans are dissatisfied, believing that honors should be determined through on-field competition and tactical battles. In both the World Cup and the European Championship, if knockout matches are tied at the end of regulation, the result is resolved through extra time or penalties, fundamentally to uphold the competitive nature of sports.
I believe that a rematch would have been better; the third-place match was interrupted after only one half and did not complete a full competitive process. Judging the teams as joint third feels like an administrative decision replacing competitive outcomes, which undermines the efforts both teams put into their preparations and lets down fans eagerly anticipating a peak showdown. This significantly diminishes the event’s appeal and seriousness.