Yemen beat Bahrain 5-2 but finish Gulf Cup campaign at group stage

Yemen closed their Gulf Cup group campaign with a 5-2 victory over Bahrain, but the result came after their hopes of progressing had already ended. The Guardian reported on Thursday that a 1-0 loss to Qatar had eliminated Noureddine Ould Ali's side with one group match still to play at the eight-team tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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The win over Bahrain followed a difficult opening to the competition. Yemen lost 4-0 to the United Arab Emirates before the narrow defeat by Qatar. They entered this edition as the only participating country never to have won the Gulf Cup and had never advanced beyond the group stage. Their five-goal finish therefore did not alter the outcome of their campaign.

Ould Ali described preparations shaped by the instability in Yemen. Local players initially trained in Aden before joining the rest of the squad in Jeddah. The coach told the Guardian that conditions at the Aden camp had been manageable, while the facilities and welcome in Saudi Arabia allowed the team to concentrate on football. Most members of the squad play their club football in Yemen.

The domestic league's disruption has added to the difficulties facing the national side. According to Ould Ali, the competition restarted this year after a lengthy stoppage and completed the first half of its season. He emphasised the importance of regular matches for players to maintain fitness and demonstrate their ability. Yemen have not played a home international since beating Palestine 2-1 in Sanaa in 2012.

The coach said players remained concerned about events at home and the safety of their families during their stay in Saudi Arabia. He described those worries as natural while asking the squad to remain focused on their matches. Ould Ali has experience of working in difficult circumstances elsewhere in the region, having coached Palestine from 2018 to 2021 after serving for more than four years as an assistant.

Despite their Gulf Cup exit, Yemen have secured a place at the 2027 Asian Cup. They defeated Lebanon in June to become the final team to qualify, earning only their second appearance at the tournament. Ould Ali said that qualification had given supporters at home a reason to celebrate, and he expressed his desire for the national team to continue making them proud.