Yemeni Youths Plant Hope Despite Loss to Qatar in Gulf Youth Championship Opener

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arabian Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: The Yemeni youth team began its journey in the first Gulf Cup for football with an undeserved loss to its Qatari counterpart by a single goal, in the match that was held at the Hamad Al-Kabeer Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Sunday evening, as part of the first group competitions. Qatari player Faisal Saeed scored the only goal of the match in the (55th) minute, after a first half that witnessed Yemeni superiority in possession and missed opportunities, which made the result closer to a surprise were it not for the brilliance of the Qatari goalkeeper and the haste of the Yemeni attack. Despite the loss, the Little Red team captivated the fans and observers with its strong performance and fighting spirit, despite the difference in preparation and qualification imposed by the different circumstances of the two teams. Yemen coach Samer Fadl expressed his pride in the performance of his players, stressing that the tournament constitutes an important "competitive camp" before the upcoming Asian entitlements, while Qatar coach Alvaro praised the strength of the Yemeni team and described it as "an opponent that commands respect regardless of the result." The Gulf Youth Cup competitions continue until the third of next October with the participation of eight teams, where the young teams are given a golden opportunity to gain international experience and hone their skills in a high-level football atmosphere.