As the festive Eid al-Fitr approaches, the historic rivalry between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr is set to be reignited on April 9th in the United Arab Emirates, marking the second encounter of the Saudi Super Cup tournament, according to exclusive sources revealed.
These sources also indicated that the Saudi Football Federation has settled on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as the host city for the Super Cup, which will witness the initial clash between Al Ittihad and Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi, 24 hours before the pivotal derby between Al Ain and the UAE capital, with the location to be determined later, possibly coinciding with the eve of Eid al-Fitr or the first day of the holiday.
Moreover, the sources outlined that the Saudi Super Cup final is scheduled for April 12th, pitting the winners of the Al-Hilal vs. Al-Nassr match against the victors of the Al Ittihad vs. Al Wahda encounter, with the venue yet to be announced.
According to the sources, the Saudi Football Federation selected this timing for the Super Cup matches due to the unavailability of alternative dates in the current sports season calendar following the recent adjustments to the AFC Champions League schedule and the postponement of the previously set date for the tournament’s competitions.
Under the new tournament system, the first football team of Al Ittihad has secured the first seats for the participating clubs in the 2024 Saudi Super Cup as the holder of the Saudi Pro League title for the 2022-2023 season, accompanied by Al-Nassr, the league runner-up, as the second seat in the Super Cup. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal secured its spot in the tournament after clinching the King’s Cup title for 2022-2023, with Al Wahda completing the roster of participating teams after finishing second in the King’s Cup.
The sources indicated that the Football Federation will announce its official decision in the coming days through a statement to be published on the official website.
The Saudi Super Cup, featuring four teams for the second consecutive time following its previous format change, which used to bring together the champions of the league and the King’s Cup, was inaugurated in 2013, with the team from Al-Ittihad clinching the title in the last edition held last season.
