Two matches, one stadium, one kick-off time. Saudi football's scheduling nearly produced exactly that, with Abha against Al-Khaleej in the Roshn League and Damac against Al-Tai in the First Division League both pencilled in for Monday 19 October at Damac Club's stadium in Khamis Mushait, 6:20pm Mecca time.
Blame the split in responsibility. The Saudi Pro League draws up the Roshn League calendar, while the competitions committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation handles the First Division League, and neither spotted that both had landed on the same date and the same venue.
The Saudi Pro League's competitions department picked Damac Club's stadium for Abha against Al-Khaleej in the tenth round of the Roshn League. At the very same time, the federation's competitions committee chose that ground for Damac against Al-Tai in the eighth round of the First Division League.
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Questions followed quickly about how the two organising bodies coordinate at all, given the overlap left both fixtures effectively impossible to stage together.
Media reports say the fix is in: Abha against Al-Khaleej switches to the stadium at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City in Al-Mahala. An official announcement on the change of venue is still to come.
Clubs, supporters and stadium operators all build their plans around these calendars. That is why the Saudi Pro League and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation need to talk before the fixtures are published, not after, if errors like this one are to stay one-offs.