National Team Coach: Gulf Cup 27 an independent goal, not prep for the Asian Cup

Noureddine Ould Ali, coach of our senior national football team, said his team views the "Khaleeji 27" Arabian Gulf Cup as a standalone goal, not just a preparatory stop for the Asian Cup scheduled for early next year in Saudi Arabia, stressing that he does not fear the military conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group will affect the team's participation in the tournament.

Yemen is participating in the second group, which includes eight Gulf teams. The tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia from September 23 to October 6, at a time of escalating cross-border attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

Ould Ali said in an interview with Reuters via the "Zoom" application: "This is the trap. I told the players not to entertain this idea. The Gulf Cup is a goal, and the Asian Cup is another goal. The situation in the Asian tournament is different. I don't have this idea in my mind. I am preparing for Gulf Cup 27 by 400 percent, and then we will think about Asia afterward."

The Algerian coach hopes to take advantage of the presence of the Yemeni community in Saudi Arabia to give the team public support that will motivate the players.

He said: "What we value about holding the tournament in Saudi Arabia is the presence of fans. We don't play in Yemen and play all our matches abroad, so this is an opportunity for us to get motivation from the fans."

He added jokingly: "We have no problem adapting in Saudi Arabia, we all speak Arabic and we all eat Mandi... even the humidity in Aden is similar to Jeddah."

Yemen will compete in the group alongside Qatar, the two-time defending Asian champion, Bahrain, the holder of the Khaleeji 26 title, and the UAE. However, Ould Ali believes that the difficulty of the group can push his players to perform better.

He said: "I personally love playing matches against teams ranked higher than us in the world rankings. This motivates the players to put in more effort. As I said, we don't play at home, so I want them, the Yemeni community, to help us, and we, in turn, will make them happy. Their support will boost our morale."

In an unprecedented move, the Yemeni national team squad included 26-year-old Manchester-born striker D'Mani Mellor, who plays for Forest Green Rovers in the English fifth tier, as part of the team's strategy to rely on "sons of the diaspora" to strengthen its ranks.

Ould Ali spoke about Mellor, who previously played for Manchester United's various youth teams, saying: "His origins are Yemeni, but his culture is Anglo-Saxon because he was born and raised in Manchester, and his culture is different from ours... But over time, he became eager to play for the national team."

A Coach, Not a Strategic Expert

The Yemeni team was the first to arrive in Jeddah in preparation for the tournament, coinciding with the Houthi group's announcement that it had targeted "sensitive" sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with missiles and drones.

The confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has become another front in the wider conflict that erupted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

But Ould Ali, the former coach of the Palestinian national team, says he will rely on his past experience to shield his players from being affected by the conflict.

He said: "If you knew my history over the last 10 or 16 years and where I've coached... they call me an emergency coach because of my work in difficult circumstances. I have some knowledge of geopolitics and experience from my time in Palestine, and today with the Yemeni team, we are focusing on football and making the Yemeni people happy so that their smiles may return."

He added: "Politics is for politicians, and sports are for athletes. I like to focus on my own field, excel in it, and spread brotherhood and a spirit of solidarity. This is the team's message. One people, and as they say, one destiny. The Yemeni people deserve to live in happiness and with a smile, like any other people in the world."

He continued: "What can that measure for Yemen? Can it be measured for each player or each family? I don't think so. In the end, we are human, and when something painful happens anywhere, we are affected... When we see unpleasant events, we feel sorry, because we are human first and foremost. No one wishes for such things to happen, and I prefer to leave politics to the politicians."

Yemen has been experiencing a civil war for 12 years, which began with the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sana'a, prompting a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the fighting, but the impoverished country now faces the most serious threat of a return to full-scale war.

Ould Ali said: "I am a football coach, not an expert in war strategies or politics. The Yemeni people have a history, and I believe they are one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and I wish for them to live in peace."