Yemen’s football league returns as fighting eases

SANAA: Yemen’s top-flight football competition has resumed for the first time since 2014, offering a rare moment of shared public life in a country fractured by a 12-year civil war.

According to Reuters, hundreds of spectators gathered at a stadium in the ancient city of Sanaa for a match between clubs from territories held by rival sides in the conflict. The game brought together Wahda Sanaa, from the capital controlled by the Houthi militia, and Shaab Hadramout, from a province controlled by a regional coalition and separatists.

The return of the Yemen National League has been made possible by a truce signed in 2022 that, since May, has appeared stable enough to allow professional football to restart. In the stands, supporters wearing brightly coloured wigs and face paint reacted to the action as players from the two teams exchanged pennants before kick-off and the match got under way.

Sport and a sense of normalcy

The revival has been welcomed by players and commentators who see football as a sign of life returning after years of war that deepened poverty in one of the world’s poorest countries and left many people at risk of starvation.

Mohammed Abu Ghalib, a player for Hilal Hudayda, a club based in Yemen’s main Red Sea port, said the league’s return had brought joy to supporters.

“Everyone is happy and delighted to see Yemeni soccer back in action”

He added “God willing, soccer is a message of peace for the Yemeni people”.

Sport journalist Mohammed al-Qasemi also welcomed the crowds turning out for matches, saying the turnout reflected the public’s longing for positive experiences after years of hardship.

Tunisian commentator Issam Chaouali, one of the Arab world’s best-known football voices, said the return of the game in Yemen represented more than a sporting event and signalled a wider revival in daily life. He said it would be a message of hope and joy for supporters who had waited patiently.

Damage and development plans

The return of league football comes despite visible damage caused by the conflict. Reuters reported that sports facilities across Sanaa are badly damaged and in many cases unusable, underlining the wider toll the war has taken on public infrastructure.

Abu Ghalib said restoring the National League would help younger players and provide a boost to Yemen’s national side.

Nabih Naser, deputy sports and youth minister in the Houthi government, said he wanted to expand sports development and train young athletes. Speaking from an office decorated with trophies, he said he hoped to build new facilities in all provinces, but acknowledged that financial constraints remained a major obstacle.

Naser said he hoped the return of competitions such as the national football league would encourage private-sector investment in sport.

“We need to develop Yemeni sports (across) all federations”, he stayed.