Yemen National Team Secures Place in AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals

The Yemen national football team secured qualification for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals after defeating Lebanon 2-0 in their match today at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, as part of the sixth and final round of Group B in the qualifiers.

Nasser Mohammedoh Al Gahwashi scored both goals for Yemen in the 62nd and 90th minutes of the match.

The Yemen national team finished top of the group standings with 14 points from six matches, compared to 13 points for Lebanon, four points for Bhutan, and three points for Brunei.

Yemen will compete in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals in Group E alongside South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, returning to the tournament after missing the previous edition.

The Yemeni side entered the match seeking the victory that would secure qualification for the continental tournament in Saudi Arabia 2027 and adopted an attacking approach from the outset. Nasser Al Gahwashi tested Lebanon goalkeeper Mostafa Matar with a powerful low free-kick in the seventh minute, but the effort was comfortably saved, as the first half ended goalless.

The deadlock was broken in the 62nd minute when a weak-headed clearance from Walid Shour reached Adel Abbas, who headed the ball into the path of Al Gahwashi. The forward then produced a low curling finish that slipped past the advancing Mostafa Matar to give Yemen the lead.

Al Gahwashi sealed Yemen’s victory in the 90th minute after receiving a well-weighted through pass from Mamdooh Saleh and calmly finishing into the net to score his second goal of the match and lead his country to victory, securing its place in the finals.