Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Progression to the knockout stage maybe the initial target for Yemen but whether they win, lose, or draw their matches in Doha, Technical Director Abraham Mebratu is convinced that participation in the AFC U23 Championship will prove to be a massive boost for the players from the beleaguered West Asian nation.
With their homeland badly effected by the on-going civil war Yemen have been based in the Qatar capital for some time and put in an impressive performance at the inaugural WAFF (West Asian Football Federation) U-23 Championship, where they made it to the semi-finals as the best group runners-up ahead of Saudi Arabia and the UAE after an opening defeat to Jordan was followed up by a victory over Palestine and a goalless draw with hosts Qatar.
"We reached the semi-final at the West Asia under-23 tournament and it was a very good experience for us. So based on our preparations I think we can achieve good results [at the AFC U-23 Championship],” said Mebratu.
"But at the same time, this will also be a very good experience for the players and a very good chance to prepare our future national team.
“Even if we lose, it's not a big problem because our future national team will definitely benefit.”
AFC U23 Championship. The Contenders: Yemen
Making it through to the knockout phase will be an arduous task for Yemen having been pooled in a tough-looking Group C that features Uzbekistan, Korea Republic, and defending champions Iraq, who are Yemen’s first opponents when the group gets underway on January 13.
"We are in the strongest group but we are here to play for victories. We are here to qualify for the next round,” added Mebratu, who was Yemen’s head coach during the inaugural tournament, which was played at under 22 level and took place in January 2014 in Oman.
"We are in a very strong group alongside Iraq, Uzbekistan and South Korea. When you see these teams, all of them have very good experience at this level. Especially defending champions Iraq.
"Even though they are very strong, we are preparing very well under our coach Amin Al Sunaini.
In addition to finishing fourth at last October’s WAFF U-23 Championship following a 3-0 defeat to Qatar in the third-place playoff, Yemen have been able test themselves in friendlies with other AFC U23 Championship participants, with Al Sunaini’s side losing 1-0 to Thailand on Friday having went down to an identical scoreline to Qatar, held Japan to a goalless draw, and defeated Vietnam 2-1.
But Mebratu is also concerned that this might not be enough to ready them for the forthcoming continental campaign, particularly with his players not having regular club football due to the cancellation of the domestic game in Yemen.
"In Yemen, the political situation and the war has affected the sport. There is no league happening in the country,” continued the 46-year-old Ethiopian.
"We have played only a few friendly matches, and the lack of practice matches could also affect our performance.
“Still we'll do our best. We'll try to beat our tough rivals. We have full trust in our coach and players.
"What I like most about our players is that they are very passionate about the country. They want to achieve something for the country. Even the coaching staff and the administrative staff are very committed. In these unstable times, they want to show to the people that football is a strong tool of peace. So they are ready to do their best.”
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)