Yemen national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yemen

Nickname(s)	Al-Yaman as-Sa'eed (اليمن السعيد, The Happy Yemen) Asl Al-Arab (اصل العرب, The origin of the Arabs)
Association	Yemen Football Association (YFA)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	Noureddine Ould Ali
Captain	Abdulwasea Al-Matari
Most caps	Alaa Al-Sasi (84)
Top scorer	Ali Al-Nono (30)
Home stadium	Althawra Sports City Stadium
FIFA code	YEM
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	143 8 (7 February 2019)
Highest	90 (August – September 1993, November 1993)
Lowest	186 (February 2014)
Elo ranking
Current	168 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest	117 (7 November 2010)
Lowest	169 (September 2015)
First international
Syria 4–1 North Yemen  (Baghdad, Iraq; 2 April 1966) as Yemen  Malaysia 0–1 Yemen  (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 8 September 1990)
Biggest win
North Yemen 2–1 United Arab Emirates  (Casablanca, Morocco; 11 August 1985)  North Yemen 1–0 India  (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 11 February 1988) as Yemen  Yemen 11–2 Bhutan  (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 18 February 2000)
Biggest defeat
North Korea 14–0 Yemen  (Phnom Penh, Cambodia; 30 November 1966) as Yemen
Asian Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2019)
Best result	Group stage (2019)
WAFF Championship
Appearances	3 (first in 2010)
Best result	Semi-finals (2010)

The Yemen national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْيَمَن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) plays for Yemen in international men's football games. The Yemen Football Association manages the team.

Before 1990, Yemen was split into North Yemen and South Yemen. Each had its own football team. The current Yemen national team carries on the history and records of the North Yemen team.

Even though Yemen has many people, it hasn't had as much football success as some smaller countries. After North and South Yemen joined together in 1990, the team only qualified for the AFC Asian Cup once.

History of Yemen Football

Early Games (1965–1966)

A team from the Sultanate of Lahej played its first games in 1965. They lost both matches badly. Around the same time, North Yemen played its first game in April 1966. They lost 4–1 to Syria and then had even bigger losses. They finished last in their group.

Return to Play (1984–1989)

After a long break of 18 years, North Yemen returned to play in 1984. They tried to qualify for the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. All their matches were in Calcutta, India. They lost all four games and finished last in their group.

North Yemen then tried to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. They played against Syria and Kuwait. They lost all their games, scoring only one goal.

In August 1985, North Yemen played in the 1985 Arab Games. They lost to Saudi Arabia and Algeria. But they won their first-ever game against the UAE with a score of 2–1.

Yemen Unites (1990s)

In 1990, North and South Yemen became one country. This meant their football teams also joined together. To show they were united, the team's captains took turns leading the team.

Their first big challenge as a united team was trying to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. They lost three games but managed to draw twice and win two games. They finished third in their group, which ended their first World Cup journey.

For the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, Yemen struggled again. They lost badly to Saudi Arabia. Their only win was a close 1–0 victory against Kyrgyzstan.

Things started to look a bit better when they tried to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They finished second in their group, above Indonesia and Cambodia. This gave the team and fans hope for the future.

New Millennium Challenges (2000s)

Yemen began the 2000s by trying to qualify for the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. They won 3–0 against Nepal. They also had a huge 11–2 win against Bhutan. They finished third in their group.

In 2001, Yemen almost made it to the second round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They were very close to the UAE in points. But they lost both games against the UAE, which stopped them from moving forward.

Yemen also played in the 2002 Arab Cup, their first time since 1966. They drew with Saudi Arabia but lost their other games.

The team continued to face tough challenges in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup tournaments. They often finished last or near last in these competitions.

For the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Yemen finished last in their group. They had one win, two draws, and three losses. They were also knocked out of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, only winning their two games against India.

Recent Years (2010s)

Yemen's journey to the 2010 FIFA World Cup was short. They won against Maldives in the first round. But they lost to Thailand in the second round and were knocked out. This was the first time they didn't reach the group stages of a World Cup qualifier.

In 2010, Yemen hosted the 20th Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time. They lost all their games in the group stage.

For the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Yemen had two wins, one draw, and three losses. They played well against Japan, losing by only one goal in their last game.

Yemen played in the 2012 Arab Cup and finished third in their group. In 2013, they had their worst performance in the 21st Arabian Gulf Cup, losing all three games without scoring any goals.

Their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was also disappointing. They lost to Iraq and were knocked out. Due to civil unrest in Yemen, their home game was played in the United Arab Emirates.

In December 2013, Yemen's FIFA ranking dropped to its lowest ever, 179th. They tried to improve by hiring new coaches, but the team's ranking fell even further to 186th.

Yemeni players before a 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Iran

First Appearance at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

The civil war started during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. Many players and staff had to leave Yemen. Despite this, Yemen managed to beat Pakistan and the Philippines.

In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Yemen made history. They beat Tajikistan and had four draws. With help from the Philippines, Yemen finally qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup for the first time as a united country!

Group F Performance

2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round

In their first Asian Cup, Yemen was in a tough group with Iraq, Iran, and Vietnam. They played against Iran, a strong team that had been in the World Cup. Yemen played well at first but lost 0–5. They then lost 0–3 to Iraq and 0–2 to Vietnam. Yemen finished last in their group with no goals and no points.

Yemen also played in the 2019 WAFF Championship. They were eliminated from the group stage but finished third, above Lebanon and Syria. In the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, they again scored no goals and lost most games, but managed a 0–0 draw against Iraq.

Recent Years (2020s)

Miroslav Soukup returned as the manager of Yemen in 2022

Yemen played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round. They were in a group with Uzbekistan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Palestine. They earned two draws, including an impressive 2–2 draw against strong Saudi Arabia. They also beat Palestine 1–0. However, they lost other games and did not qualify.

Yemen started their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games in Saudi Arabia because of the ongoing civil war in Yemen. On October 12, 2023, Yemen won 3–0 against Sri Lanka.

Yemen was drawn into Group B for the final round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Their opponents are Lebanon, Bhutan, and Brunei. On December 28, 2024, Yemen achieved their first-ever win in the Arabian Gulf Cup, beating Bahrain 2–1 in the 26th edition.

Results and Fixtures

Here are some recent match results and upcoming games for the Yemen national football team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

• On March 21, Yemen lost 2–1 to the UAE in a World Cup qualifier.
• On March 26, Yemen lost 0–3 to the UAE in another World Cup qualifier.
• On June 6, Yemen drew 0–0 with Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier.
• On June 11, Yemen drew 2–2 with Nepal in a World Cup qualifier.
• On November 16, Yemen lost 0–1 to Sri Lanka in a friendly match.
• On November 19, Yemen won 2–0 against Sri Lanka in a friendly match.
• On December 9, Yemen drew 1–1 with Kuwait in a friendly match.
• On December 16, Yemen lost 0–1 to Oman in a friendly match.
• On December 22, Yemen lost 1–0 to Iraq in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.
• On December 25, Yemen lost 2–3 to Saudi Arabia in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.
• On December 28, Yemen won 2–1 against Bahrain in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.

Upcoming Matches in 2025

• On March 25, Yemen will play Bhutan in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On June 10, Yemen will play Lebanon in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On October 9, Yemen will play Brunei in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On October 14, Yemen will play Brunei again in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On November 18, Yemen will play Bhutan in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On November 25-26, Yemen will play Comoros in an Arab Cup qualifier.

Upcoming Matches in 2026

• On March 31, Yemen will play Lebanon in an Asian Cup qualifier.
• On April 18, Yemen will play South Korea in a friendly match.

Coaching History

Caretaker managers are listed in italics

Notes

• Dr. Azzam Khalifa was the first coach of the united Yemen football team.
• Torsten Spittler, a youth team coach, was chosen to lead the team for the 2002 Arab Cup. But the football association changed their mind and picked Hazem Jassam instead.
• Abdullah Saqr Baamer was a temporary coach during the 2002 Arab Cup. The main coach, Hazem Jassam, couldn't get a visa to enter Kuwait.

Players

Current squad

These 26 players were chosen for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of December 28, 2024, after the match against Bahrain.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mohamed Aman	(1997-04-14) 14 April 1997 (age 28)	14	0	Ahli Sanaa
22	1GK	Abdullah Al-Saadi	(2002-04-23) 23 April 2002 (age 23)	5	0	Sharurah
23	1GK	Osama Abdullah Haidar	(2002-02-27) 27 February 2002 (age 23)	0	0	May 22 San'a
3	2DF	Harwan Al-Zubaidi	(1999-10-15) 15 October 1999 (age 25)	14	2	Al-Zawraa
4	2DF	Hamza Al-Rimi	(2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 23)	17	0	Al-Talaba
5	2DF	Amr Talal	(1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 28)	1	0	Al-Wehda Aden
6	2DF	Rami Al-Wasmani	(1997-02-01) 1 February 1997 (age 28)	7	0	Ahli Sanaa
12	2DF	Mamdooh Bin Agag	(2003-05-29) 29 May 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Al-Shaab Hadramaut
13	2DF	Ahmed Nasser		1	0	Al-Shula
19	2DF	Radhawan Al-Hubaishi	(1993-07-03) 3 July 1993 (age 32)	9	0	Al-Ramadi
24	2DF	Ali Al-Dugin	(2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Wehda Aden
26	2DF	Hamzah Al-Surabi	(2003-05-07) 7 May 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Yarmuk Al-Rawda
2	3MF	Ahmed Al-Khamisi	(2003-09-10) 10 September 2003 (age 21)	0	0	EFC '58
7	3MF	Nasser Al-Gahwashi	(1999-05-24) 24 May 1999 (age 26)	30	3	Zakho
8	3MF	Anes Al-Maari	(2000-01-09) 9 January 2000 (age 25)	16	0	Al-Gharraf
10	3MF	Mohammed Al-Najjar	(1997-04-08) 8 April 1997 (age 28)	7	0	Newroz
14	3MF	Mohammed Al-Tiri	(2000-02-04) 4 February 2000 (age 25)	11	0	Al-Wehda Sanaa
15	3MF	Osama Anbar	(1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 30)	15	0	Al-Minaa
16	3MF	Omar Al-Golan		5	0	Al-Tilal
17	3MF	Abdul Majeed Sabarah	(2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 24)	13	2	Diyala
25	3MF	Tareq Shihab	(2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 24)	1	0	HK
9	4FW	Omar Al-Dahi	(1999-12-15) 15 December 1999 (age 25)	30	4	Al-Karma
11	4FW	Abdulwasea Al-Matari (captain)	(1994-07-04) 4 July 1994 (age 31)	68	11	Sitra
18	4FW	Abdulaziz Masnom	(2006-02-06) 6 February 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Al-Orobah
20	4FW	Hamzah Mahross	(2004-05-05) 5 May 2004 (age 21)	11	1	Ahli Sanaa
21	4FW	Kassem Al-Sharafi	(2004-10-15) 15 October 2004 (age 20)	3	0	Al-Wehda Sanaa

Recent call-ups

These players were part of the national team in the last year but are not in the current squad.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Waddah Anwar	(2008-01-24) 24 January 2008 (age 17)	0	0	Al-Tilal	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
GK	Bassam Farid Salleh	(2004-10-02) 2 October 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Al-Wehda Aden	v. Sri Lanka, 19 November 2024
GK	Ali Fadl Abs	(2000-01-01) 1 January 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Al-Tadamun	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024
DF	Hesham Ahmed Balabl	(2003-02-02) 2 February 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Al-Tilal	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
DF	Nasser Afasha		0	0		26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
DF	Emad Al-Judaima	(2003-03-11) 11 March 2003 (age 22)	4	0	Al-Wehda Sanaa	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024
DF	Jacob Gouriyé	(1991-01-04) 4 January 1991 (age 34)	0	0	Al-Wehda Sanaa	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024
DF	Al-Khedr Al-Douh	(2004-11-01) 1 November 2004 (age 20)	6	0	Fahman	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024
DF	Mufeed Gamal	(1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 26)	16	0	Al Yarmuk Al Rawda	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024
MF	Nawaf Abdullah	(1994-12-31) 31 December 1994 (age 30)	0	0	Malkiya	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
MF	Zidane Makram		0	0	Al-Shaab Hadramaut	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
MF	Ali Nasser Ali Hasan	(1996-11-23) 23 November 1996 (age 28)	2	1	East Riffa	v. Sri Lanka, 19 November 2024
MF	Salah Saeed		1	0	Al-Wehda Sanaa	v. Sri Lanka, 19 November 2024
FW	Mohammed Al-Dahi	(1996-04-03) 3 April 1996 (age 29)	12	2	Al-Karma	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
FW	Mohammed Al-Brwany	(2007-07-29) 29 July 2007 (age 17)	2	0	Al-Wehda Aden	26th Arabian Gulf Cup PRE
FW	Ahmed Maher	(2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 23)	18	1	Al-Wahda Sur	v. Sri Lanka, 19 November 2024
FW	Gehad Abdulrab	(1996-05-27) 27 May 1996 (age 29)	4	0	Al-Mosul	v. Sri Lanka, 19 November 2024
FW	Ahmed Al-Sarori	(1998-08-09) 9 August 1998 (age 26)	51	2	Al-Naft	v.   Nepal, 12 June 2024 PRE
Former squads 2012 Arab Cup squads 2019 AFC Asian Cup squads Records Players in bold are still active with Yemen. Most appearances Rank Player Caps Goals Career 1 Alaa Al-Sasi 84 11 2006–2019 2 Salem Saeed 79 0 2003–2019 3 Akram Al-Worafi 72 6 2004–2017 4 Abdulwasea Al-Matari 67 11 2013–present 5 Ali Al-Nono 65 30 2000–2010 Mudir Al-Radaei 65 1 2012–2023 7 Mohammed Fuad Omar 55 1 2012–2019 8 Mohammed Boqshan 54 1 2012–2021 9 Ahmed Al-Sarori 51 2 2015–present 10 Mohammad Ayash 44 0 2010–2021 Top goalscorers Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career 1 Ali Al-Nono 30 65 0.46 2000–2010 2 Adel Al-Salimi 15 25 0.6 2000–2004 3 Abdulwasea Al-Matari 11 67 0.16 2013–present Alaa Al-Sasi 11 84 0.13 2006–2019 5 Nashwan Al-Haggam 7 19 0.37 2002–2007 Yaser Ba Suhai 7 38 0.18 2003–2015 7 Ali Awad Al-Omqi 6 40 0.15 2001–2009 Akram Al-Worafi 6 72 0.08 2004–2017 9 Omar Al-Ariki 5 7 0.71 1996–1997 Abdulsalam Al Ghurbani 5 9 0.56 2000–2009 Competitive record FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup record Qualification record Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA as  Yemen 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 as  North Yemen 1966 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member 1970 1974 1978 1982 Did not enter Did not enter 1986 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 1 12 1990 4 0 0 4 0 5 as  Yemen 1994 Did not qualify 8 3 2 3 12 13 1998 6 2 2 2 10 7 2002 6 3 2 1 14 8 2006 6 1 2 3 6 11 2010 4 1 1 2 4 4 2014 2 0 1 1 0 2 2018 10 2 1 7 5 18 2022 8 1 2 5 6 18 2026 8 2 3 3 9 10 2030 To be determined To be determined 2034 Total – 0/12 – – – – – – 66 15 16 35 67 108 AFC Asian Cup Main article: Yemen at the AFC Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA as  Yemen 1956 Not an AFC member Not an AFC member 1960 as  North Yemen 1964 Not an AFC member Not an AFC member 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 2 18 1988 5 1 3 1 5 5 as  Yemen 1992 Did not enter Did not enter 1996 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 2 8 2000 4 2 0 2 14 5 2004 6 2 1 3 15 15 2007 6 2 0 4 5 13 2011 6 2 1 3 7 9 2015 6 0 0 6 3 18 2019 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 0 10 Squad 18 6 5 7 16 23 2023 Did not qualify 11 1 3 7 6 25 2027 To be determined To be determined Total Group stage 1/18 3 0 0 3 0 10 — 65 16 11 38 69 128 Asian Games Asian Games record Year Position Pld W D L GF GA 1951 to 1978 Did not participate 1982 Withdrew 1986 Did not participate 1990 Group stage 3 0 2 1 0 2 1994 Group stage 4 0 0 4 0 14 1998 Did not participate 2002 to present See Yemen national under-23 football team Total 2/13 7 0 2 5 0 16 Gulf Cup Gulf Cup record Year Position Pld W D L GF GA 2003–04 Seventh place 6 0 1 5 2 18 2004 Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 6 2007 3 0 1 2 3 5 2009 3 0 0 3 2 11 2010 3 0 0 3 1 9 2013 3 0 0 3 0 6 2014 3 0 2 1 0 1 2017–18 3 0 0 3 0 8 2019 3 0 1 2 0 9 2023 3 0 0 3 2 10 2024–25 3 1 0 2 4 5 2026 TBD Total 10/25 36 1 6 29 15 88 Arab Cup FIFA Arab Cup record Year Position Pld W D L GF GA 1963 Did not enter 1964 1966 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 24 1985 Did not enter 1988 1992 1998 Withdrew 2002 Group stage 4 0 1 3 5 13 2012 Group stage 3 1 0 2 3 7 2021 Did not qualify 2025 To be determined Total 3/10 10 1 1 8 9 44 Arab Games Arab Games record Year Position Pld W D L GF GA 1953 Did not enter 1957 1961 1965 1976 1985 Group stage 3 1 0 2 3 6 1997 Did not enter 1999 2007 2011 Total 1/10 3 1 0 2 3 6 WAFF Championship WAFF Championship record Year Position Pld W D L GF GA 2000 Did not enter 2002 2004 2007 2008 2010 Semi-finals 3 1 1 1 5 4 2012 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 4 2014 Withdrew 2019 Group stage 4 1 1 2 4 5 Total 3/9 10 2 2 6 10 13 Palestine Cup of Nations Main article: Palestine Cup of Nations Head-to-head record Main article: Yemen national football team records and statistics See also In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Yemen para niños Yemen national football team results Yemen national under-23 football team Yemen national under-20 football team Yemen national under-17 football team North Yemen national football team South Yemen national football team