Taiz: The Martyr President Saleh Al-Samad Tournament witnessed intense competition and impressive attacking prowess, with the Civil Service team securing a valuable draw against their counterparts from the Ministry of Education in their Group C match. The game was full of tactical shifts and missed opportunities, leaving qualification for the next round wide open, pending the decisive match that will determine the group leader and runner-up.
According to Yemen News Agency, the first half began with intense attacking pressure and complete dominance from the Ministry of Education team, who capitalized on the Civil Service's retreat to launch a series of attacks. Despite several easy chances for the attackers, they were thwarted by a solid defensive wall and the exceptional alertness of Civil Service goalkeeper Ibrahim Abdulrahman, who established himself as the star of the first half with his skillful saves.
In the eighth minute, Abdullah Al-Khattabi almost opened the scoring for Education after a glaring error by the goalkeeper, but the ball went just wide of the post. Goalkeeper Ibrahim Abdulrahman quickly redeemed himself in the 14th minute with a brilliant save from a clear one-on-one opportunity, expertly turning the ball behind for a corner.
Against the run of play, and from a well-organized team attack, the Civil Service striker surprised everyone with a rocket shot that nestled into the top corner, giving his team the lead and igniting the stands. But Civil Service's joy was short-lived, as Education striker Abdulrahman Al-Suraihi capitalized on a moment of confusion inside the penalty area in the 19th minute, firing a powerful shot into the back of the net and leveling the score.
The Civil Service team entered the second half with a different approach, showing improved teamwork and threatening the Education team's goal on several occasions. The most dangerous chance came when Mohammed Muawada's shot narrowly missed the target. In the final minutes, both teams exchanged missed opportunities until the referee blew the final whistle, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.
With this result, the qualification for the next round remains undecided, with fans eagerly awaiting the decisive match between the Civil Service team and the group leader, the Sana'a City.