Ahli & Wahda will not participate in AFC [Archives:1998/29/Sports]

The management of the Wahda club, the champion of the excellent division, and the management of the Ahli club, the champion of the President Cup, both announced that they will not participate in the qualifying matches tournament and in the Arab Football Cup for the following reasons:
First, the two clubs cannot afford the expenses the two sport occasions need.
Two, the Arab Cup has only twenty days to start and the two teams are not prepared for participation. On the other hand, the other Arab teams have been preparing themselves for a long time.
Third, most of the mentioned clubs’ players will participate in the Arab Cup for Juniors which will be held in Bahrain and Iraq.
What the Wahda and the Ahli clubs announced reflects the awareness of their management about the reality of sports in Yemen. It is a good step towards improving the sports situation here.
Yemen Times hopes that this is a beginning for “playing for winning” and not “playing for participation’s sake.”
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