Photo from archive for the opening tournament of Gulf 20 in Aden (Yemen)
By NY Staff
Yemenis across the country were disappointed after FIFA refused to lift a ban on Yemeni stadiums that was imposed three years ago. The decision of the executive committee of FIFA will deprive Yemeni teams of playing on their own soil during international championships.
The Yemeni Union worked hard to coordinate and consult with friendly countries in an effort to convince FIFA to overturn their decision, especially after Yemen fulfilled all requested guarantees.
Yemenis accuse FIFA of devaluing Yemeni football and accused the FIFA chairman of not supporting the sport in Yemen. People in Yemen believe that the situation has become better and more stable and able to guarantee the safety of international championships.
“Fifa was not fair when allowing championships in Libya when militias controlled governmental buildings,” Yemenis say. They also condemned allowing championships in Iraq despite the continuous explosions while at the same time banning them in Yemen despite the security situation in Yemen being better than in the two other countries.
