Riyadh: The media at the 70,000-capacity King Fahd International Stadium on the outskirts of Saudi Arabia’s capital are separated from fans by sheets of glass.
This appears to deny reporters the chance to fully embrace the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a Gulf Cup encounter.
However, even when isolated and cocooned within the solitary and sterile confinement of our elevated bubble, the reverberation of Yemen’s fans is intimidating.
What it must have been like for the Bahrain players, or better still the Yemenis, who would have played with the hairs on the back of their necks stood on end, is unimaginable.
The red, white and black flag of Yemen flickered in the headlights of a battered taxi as we passed through throngs of supporters, driving through the dustbowl towards the lone illumination of the stadium.
The tricolour then rippled over the thousands hours before the first match between Saudi Arabia and Qatar had kicked off.
Even the media centre, which is separate from the fans and encased deep in the bowels of the ground, shudders when the Yemenis stamp their feet in unison.
A walk up the narrow and winding steps, with tea swilling in hand, is then rocked by deafening echoes, offering tribal motivation to even the most placid of observers.
Multiply that brief chaotic minute of acknowledgement by 90 and it’s little wonder then that the Yemen team was inspired against all odds to record their first point in the tournament since 2007 against Bahrain on Thursday.
Whether that support will help lift them to a first ever win in a Gulf Cup match, in upcoming games against Qatar and hosts Saudi Arabia, is extremely unlikely. But for now, everyone’s favourite underdog is just revelling in the opportunity to participate, safe in the knowledge that without them the tournament would be a much poorer place.
