Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
With the AFC U23 Championship edging ever closer, join the-afc.com as we continue our look at the teams who will be vying for honours in Qatar, at a tournament that also doubles as the qualifiers for the men’s football tournament at the 2016 Olympic Games.
YEMEN
Yemen booked their place at the AFC U23 Championship as one of the five-best runners-up in the qualifiers as the West Asians, beset by social turmoil in their homeland, successfully negotiated a tricky path to Qatar as runners-up in Group D.
Aiman Al Hagiri, who has been a regular fixture in the senior team’s matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup/AFC Asian Cup 2019 joint-qualifiers, scored both goals as the Yemen kicked-off their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Tajikistan before Yaser Al Gabr came off the bench to score a double as the then Miroslav Soukup-coached side followed up their opening Group D win with a 5-0 hammering of Sri Lanka.
Yemen lost their final qualifier but gave a creditable account of themselves as they went down by a solitary goal to group hosts the UAE with their record in Fujairah enough to see them through as the fourth ranked of the five-best group runners-up.
Yemen also qualified for the inaugural tournament but after scrapping into what was then the AFC U-22 Championship as the second best third-placed team it was a tough going in Oman, with the Yemenis ending their debut campaign with a hat-trick of defeats.
Yemen’s Group C Fixtures
January 13: Yemen v Iraq (Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha)
January 16: Yemen v Korea Republic (Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha)
January 19: Yemen v Uzbekistan (Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha)