Yemen hopes to achieve its first victory in the tournament.

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 18: Until 2003, the Yemeni national team had not participated in the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Championship. However, with the 26th edition set to kick off in Kuwait on December 21, it will mark their 11th appearance in the competition.

Since its debut in 2003, the Yemeni national team has struggled to advance past the group stage, and the task ahead in the 2024 edition seems particularly challenging. The team has been drawn into a tough Group Two, alongside Bahrain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Given their history in the competition, securing a positive result or advancing to the semi-finals appears to be a daunting challenge.

Yemen begins its campaign on December 22 against Iraq, followed by a match against Saudi Arabia on the 25th, and concludes the group stage with a game against Bahrain on December 28.

What stands out about Yemen's participation in the Gulf Cup is not only that it has never won the tournament, but it has also failed to secure a single victory in its history of competition. In 33 matches, Yemen has drawn 6 times and lost 27, scoring just 12 goals and conceding 84.

Yemen returns to Kuwait, where it made its first appearance in the 16th Gulf Cup. In that edition, played under a league system, Yemen played 6 matches, losing 5 and drawing 1.

Since the beginning of this year, the Yemeni national team has been led by Algerian coach Noureddine Ould Ali. Having previously managed the Palestine national team and Algeria's under-23 squad, Ould Ali aims to break Yemen's historical struggles in the Gulf Cup. His primary goal is to secure the team's first-ever victory in the competition.

With experienced captain Abdul Wase’a Al-Matari, who plays for Sitra in Bahrain, there is a glimmer of hope. However, the path ahead is a tough one, and the task is far from simple.