Yemen eliminated from Gulf Cup after narrow loss to Qatar
Noureddine Ould Ali's side are out of the regional tournament in Jeddah after a 1-0 defeat to Qatar, despite a penalty call going against them.
Yemen's Gulf Cup campaign is over after a 1-0 defeat to Qatar in Jeddah on Saturday eliminated them from the group stage with one fixture still to play.
The result leaves the Reds without a route through to the knockout rounds of the eight-nation tournament being staged in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen were denied what the Guardian's John Duerden described as a clear penalty during the match, yet the national team coach, Noureddine Ould Ali, declined to use the decision as an excuse for the defeat.
The Algerian had other factors he could reasonably have pointed to. Qatar arrived in Jeddah fresh from an appearance at the World Cup this summer, backed by the resources of the Aspire Academy and modern stadia, and coached by Julen Lopetegui, who has previously managed Spain and Real Madrid.
Yemen have none of those advantages. The team has not played a home fixture since 2012, when they beat Palestine 2-1 in Sanaa.
The gulf in infrastructure and circumstance between the two sides was stark even before kick-off, with Yemen's preparations continuing to be shaped by the difficult situation in the country.
Ould Ali, reflecting on the broader picture facing Yemeni football, said: "It would be very nice to give the world a different headline."
The coach's comments point to a wider context in which football results are only one part of the story for a nation dealing with civil war at home, even as his players attempt to compete against sides with vastly greater resources.
Yemen's elimination from the group stage comes with one match still to be played in the tournament, though the defeat to Qatar has already ended any prospect of progression to the next round.
The Gulf Cup continues in Jeddah, with Qatar's win over Yemen keeping Lopetegui's side on course in the group phase as the wider tournament progresses.