Yemen: Between the Beautiful Game and the Shadows of War

It’s been a heavy week across the region. You’ve seen the headlines coming out of Tehran, the posturing from Washington, and the usual jostling that makes the Middle East feel like it’s constantly walking a tightrope. But while the world’s eyes are fixed on the northern fronts, a quieter kind of endurance is playing out further south, in a country that knows the sound of silence all too well: Yemen.

I was catching up with a friend last night about the upcoming international break, and we got onto the Yemen national football team. With everything else going on, it’s easy to forget that the World Cup qualifiers are still happening. For the Yemeni squad, just getting to a neutral venue for a match is a logistical nightmare that would make any team manager break out in a cold sweat. They’re the ultimate underdogs—not just up against other teams, but fighting against a broken infrastructure that makes travel, training, and even basic safety a luxury.

Speaking of connectivity—or the lack of it—you might have seen the chatter about YemenNet. Over the past few days, the internet has been spotty at best. Word from inside the country is that when the rhetoric heats up in the Gulf, Yemen’s digital infrastructure often ends up as collateral damage. It’s a reminder that for an ordinary family in Sana’a or Aden, the biggest worry isn’t just the distant geopolitical chess game, but whether they’ll be able to call a relative overseas to let them know they’re safe.

Amid all this, I saw a clip from Ali Dawah that went semi-viral here in the diaspora. For those who don’t know him, Ali is a British speaker with Yemeni roots. He was doing his usual street dawah in London when someone stopped him to ask about the situation back home. His response was classic Ali—quick with a joke, but with a serious core. He reminded people that while the narrative out of Washington and Tehran often dominates the headlines, Yemenis are just trying to figure out how to put food on the table. It’s a perspective that often gets lost in the noise of the 24-hour news cycle.

This is a land of stark contrasts. You have the harsh geopolitical reality, and then you have something completely out of left field—the veiled chameleon. If you ever need a bit of lightness, look this creature up. Native to Yemen (and Saudi Arabia), it’s one of the most striking reptiles on the planet. They change colour depending on mood, temperature, and light, and they have those eyes that move independently. It’s a small thing, but in a place where the news is relentlessly grim, remembering that the natural world here is still thriving, still adapting, feels like a small act of defiance.

Here’s what’s actually happening on the ground right now:

• Humanitarian Strain: Even though active front-line clashes have eased in some areas, the humanitarian crisis hasn’t gone anywhere. Food security and access to water remain the biggest daily struggles for millions.
• Sporting Resilience: The national team’s upcoming qualifiers are more than just games. They represent a rare moment of unity—a chance to fly the flag without political division, something that’s hard to come by these days.
• The Info War: With YemenNet fluctuating, misinformation spreads like wildfire. Getting a clear signal, let alone a clear story, is harder than ever.

So, while the world holds its breath watching the standoff between Washington and Tehran, spare a thought for the place that has been caught in the crossfire for years. Whether it’s the struggle of the Yemen national football team just to show up, the broken infrastructure of YemenNet, or the surprising resilience of a veiled chameleon in the mountains, the story of Yemen is far more complex than just the "tensions" you see on the ticker.

It’s a country full of people who, like Ali Dawah said in that clip, have mastered the art of surviving the unthinkable. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful story of all.