Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The Yemeni Football Association commented on a video clip that sparked widespread controversy on social media, as it showed the national team players exchanging “leg guards” during the confrontation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in the first round of the Arabian Gulf Cup competitions. .
The Yemen coach had removed the player Omar Al-Dahi and entered Ali Abdo Al-Omari instead in the 84th minute, but the substitute player stopped by the touch line, waiting for his colleague Al-Dahi to get his shin guard, before he put it on and entered the field.
The Yemeni Federation responded to this footage, which angered many regarding the readiness of the Yemeni national team and its capabilities to participate in the Gulf Championship 25.
And the official website of the Yemeni Federation quoted statements by an official in the Federation, saying: “We are very proud of the Yemeni fans at home and abroad, and they are always supportive of the teams and present with encouragement, support and backing, and know very well the extent of suffering and how football successes are achieved in extremely complex circumstances.”
The official added, “There are a few who do not represent the loving and keen Yemeni public, and seek in every participation to monitor any loss or any error that may occur in order to stir up discontent, and wish for a loss in order to implement goals and objectives that only serve disintegration, fragmentation, and the elimination of national teams.”
And he continued, “The issue of (the shin guard) of one of the national team’s players, who (replaced) it with another player, clearly reveals the extent of the targeting and targeting to break the morale of the players.”
The official in the Yemeni Federation confirmed: “All the team’s needs and requirements have been provided and purchased from the largest specialized international companies, with large sums.”
And he concluded: “The federation, headed by the presence of the president of the federation, provides all the needs for all teams, and secures the stages of internal and external preparation, travel costs, camps and participations during the past years, which amount to millions of dollars.”
The Yemeni national team is located in the first group in the tournament, which hosts the competitions in Basra, Iraq, along with the teams: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq.