Ahmed Al-Eisi has been accused of violating the bylaws of the Yemeni Football Association, which is a national governing body, even though his leadership term expired in 2018. Al-Eisi has therefore held on to the presidency since 2014.
The first and second division clubs, along with the rest of the governorates, officially withdrew from the election to decide on a new administrative body for the Yemeni Football Association.
Yemeni football clubs and fans have been demanding reform to the federation for years. In 2021, the federation was heavily criticised for poor management of affairs. People called for the organisation to be led by athletes.
Recently, the association has been accused of serious violations of its bylaws, including Manipulation of Representation and Illegal Inclusion of Branch Presidents. It has also been accused of leveraging the clubs’ economic difficulties to assert power.
Yemeni clubs have turned to the Yemeni Olympic Committee for help. They are also beseeching FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to step in.
Nabil Al-Faqih, head of the Supervisory Committee for Elections, also resigned immediately after the association found out about the lawsuit filed by the clubs against it, adding to the controversy.
Al-Faqih questioned the integrity of the association and the electoral process. He said that “incorrect interpretations” of the Yemeni Football Association’s statutes caused his resignation.
Yemeni football clubs are calling for an independent committee to oversee the election, prohibit the violation of the association’s laws, and to protect the clubs’ right to choose their representatives.
The elections for the Yemeni General Football Association’s Board of Directors are due to occur on 30 November in Qatar.
