Al-Yousef: My Comments on Ages Were Misunderstood

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Yousef, president of the Kuwait Football Association, clarified that his remarks about the ages of the “Blue” team players were misunderstood, stressing that he meant to say that the ages of the national team’s players are among the best among the teams participating in the tournament. In an interview with the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Al-Yousef said, “My comments about the ages of the national team players were misinterpreted. What I meant was that our players’ ages are among the best among the participating teams.” His clarification came in response to controversies surrounding his earlier statement, as he emphasized the intended meaning regarding the current squad. The federation president also addressed stadium attendance, noting that weather conditions had affected crowd numbers during the tournament. He expressed his expectation that attendance would rise following the qualification of the Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates national teams, given the strong fan followings these teams enjoy. When asked about a player who could be described as a “Gulf Cup legend,” Al-Yousef declined to reduce the tournament’s history to a single name, stating that the competitions have featured more than one player deserving of that title, and that choosing just one among them is difficult. On a personal note, Al-Yousef revealed a shift in his allegiance to Saudi football, saying, “I used to be an Al-Hilal supporter, but after Jassem Al-Huwaidi and Bashar Abdullah joined Al-Hilal, I became an Al-Hilal fan,” recalling how the experience of those players at Al-Hilal influenced his support for the club.