# Yemeni League

Yemeni League is the top football division of the Yemen Football Association. It was created in 1990 after the unification of North and South Yemen. It was set up in a four-level system with Premier, First, Second and Third Division.
16 northern and 16 southern clubs entered the top level championship in the 1990–91 season. Previously, two separate championships were used for North Yemen and South Yemen.
Currently, 14 clubs play at the top level, with four clubs being relegated to the 2nd tier. The season is generally run from early November to late June with the league winners entering the AFC Challenge League and the Arab Champions League.
The league was cancelled from 2014 to 2021 due to the Yemeni Civil War, which also stopped all other footballing activities in Yemen.

## Clubs

| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Al-Ahli San'a | Sana'a | Ali Muhesen Stadium | 25,000 |
| Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | Al Hudaydah | Al Ulufi Stadium | 10,000 |
| Al-Ittihad Ibb | Ibb | 22 May Stadium | 40,000 |
| Al-Oruba Zabid | Sana'a | Ali Muhesen Stadium | 25,000 |
| Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Ta'izz | Abu Walad Stadium | 5,000 |
| Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut | Mukalla | Baradem Mukalla Stadium | 50,000 |
| Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Ibb | 22 May Stadium | 40,000 |
| Al-Shula Aden | Aden | | |
| Al-Tilal Aden | Aden | May 22 Stadium | 8,000 |
| Al-Wahda Aden | Aden | May 22 Stadium | 30,000 |
| Al-Wahda San'a' | Sana'a | Ali Muhesen Stadium | 25,000 |
| Al Yarmuk Al Rawda | Sana'a | Althawra Sports City Stadium | 30,000 |
| Fahman Abyan | Abyan | | |
| Shabab Al-Jeel | Al Hudaydah | | |
* Al Oruba appear to represent the small town of Zabid, but play all games in Sana'a.

## Champions (before the unification)

| No. | Season | North Yemen | South Yemen |
| 1 | 1970–71 | Not Held | Al-Tilal Aden |
| 2 | 1971–72 | Not held | |
| 3 | 1972–73 | Not held | |
| 4 | 1973–74 | Not held | |
| 5 | 1974–75 | Not held | |
| 6 | 1975–76 | Not Held | Al-Wahda Aden |
| 7 | 1976–77 | Not Held | Al-Tilal Aden |
| 8 | 1977–78 | Not held | ؟؟؟ |
| 9 | 1978–79 | Al-Wahda San'a | ؟؟؟ |
| 10 | 1979–80 | Al-Zuhra | Al-Tilal Aden |
| 11 | 1980–81 | Al-Ahli San'a | ؟؟؟ |
| 12 | 1981–82 | Al-Sha'ab San'a | Al-Tilal Aden |
| 13 | 1982–83 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Tilal Aden |
| 14 | 1983–84 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Shorta Aden |
| 15 | 1984–85 | Not Held | |
| 16 | 1985–86 | Al-Shorta Sana'a' | ؟؟؟ |
| 17 | 1986–87 | Not Held | Al Tilal Aden |
| 18 | 1987–88 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Wahda Aden |
| 19 | 1988–89 | Al Yarmuk Al Rawda | Al-Wahda Aden |
| 20 | 1989–90 | Al Yarmuk Al Rawda | Al-Shula Aden |

## Yemeni League champions

| No. | Season | Champion | Runner-up | Third place | Top scorers | Top scorer club(s) | Goals |
| 1 | 1990–91 | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Mena | Al-Ahli San'a | Munif Shaif | Al-Mena | 16 |
| 2 | 1991–92 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Shula Aden | Sharaf Mahfood | Al-Tilal Aden | 30 |
| | 1992–93 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | |
| 3 | 1993–94 | Al-Ahli San'a | Hassan Abyan | Al-Wahda Aden | Mohammad Al-Azazy | Al Zuhra | 19 |
| 4 | 1994–95 | Al-Wahda San'a | Al-Ahli San'a | Hassan Abyan | Jiab Bashafaay | Hassan Abyan | 25 |
| | 1995–96 | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | |
| 5 | 1996–97 | Al-Wahda San'a | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Ahly Al Hudaydah | Jameel Al-Maktry | Shamsan Aden | 21 |
| 6 | 1997–98 | Al-Wahda San'a | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Shula Aden | Adel Al-Salimi | Al-Ahli San'a | 20 |
| 7 | 1998–99 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Wahda San'a | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Fathi Jabir | Al-Tilal Aden | 22 |
| 8 | 1999–00 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Tali'aa Taizz | Al-Wahda San'a | Adel Al-Salimi | Al-Ahli San'a | 17 |
| 9 | 2000–01 | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Al-Tilal Aden | Ali Al-Nono | Al-Ahli San'a | 24 |
| 10 | 2001–02 | Al-Wahda San'a | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | Adel Al-Salimi | Al-Ahli San'a | 18 |
| 11 | 2002–03 | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | Fekri Al-Hubaishi | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | 13 |
| 12 | 2003–04 | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Tilal Aden | Yordanos Abay | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | 15 |
| 13 | 2004–05 | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Al-Ahli San'a | Yordanos Abay | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | 16 |
| 14 | 2005–06 | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Al-Tilal Aden | Fekri Al-Hubaishi | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | 26 |
| 15 | 2006–07 | Al-Ahli San'a | Hassan Abyan | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Berhanu Kaseem | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | 15 |
| 16 | 2007–08 | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Shula Aden | Ali Al-Nono | Al-Ahli San'a | 11 |
| 17 | 2008–09 | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Lomi Antita | Al-Ahli San'a | 13 |
| 18 | 2009–10 | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Al-Tilal Aden | Shabab Al Baydaa | Amboio (Mboyo Iyomi) | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | 15 |
| 19 | 2010–11 | Al-Oruba Zabid | Al-Tilal Aden | Al-Ahli San'a | Tesfaye Tafese | Al-Tilal Aden | 14 |
| 20 | 2011–12 | Al-Sha'ab Ibb | Al-Ittihad Ibb | Al-Oruba Zabid | Shaaban Naggar | Al-Oruba Zabid | 14 |
| 21 | 2013 | Al Yarmuk Al Rawda | Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | | | |
| 22 | 2013–14 | Al-Saqr Ta'izz | Al-Ahli San'a | Al-Tilal Aden | | | |
| 23 | 2014–15 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| | 2015–16 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| | 2016–17 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| | 2017–18 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| | 2018–19 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 23 | 2020 | Al-Shaab Hadramaut | Al-Wehda Aden | | | | |
| | 2020–21 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 24 | 2021–22 | Fahman SCC | Al-Wehda Sanaa | Ahli Sanaa |
| | 2022–23 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 25 | 2023–24 | Ahli Sanaa | Al-Tadamun Hadramaut | Al-Shaab Hadramaut | | | |

## Top goalscorers
### All-time top scorers

    As of 6 July 2013
| Rank | Player | Goals | Years |
| 1 | Ali Al-Nono | 163 | 1999–2014 |
| 2 | Adel Al-Salimi | 136 | 1997–2011 |
| 3 | Sharaf Mahfood | 121 | 1985–2005 |
| 4 | Fathi Jabir | 108 | 1997–2008 |
| 5 | Yordanos Abay | 100 | 2003–2012 |

### Topscorers by season

| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1996-97 | Jameel Al-Maktry | Shamsan Aden | 21 |
| 2002-03 | Fikri Al-Habishi | | 13 |
| 2003-04 | Yordanos Abay | Al-Saqr | 15 |
| 2004-05 | Yordanos Abay | Al-Saqr | 15 |
| 2005-06 | Fekri Al-Hubaishi | Shaab Ibb | 26 |
| 2006-07 | Berhanu Kaseem | | 15 |
| 2007-08 | Ali Al-Nono | Al-Ahli | 11 |
| 2008-09 | Lomi Antita | | 13 |
| 2009-10 | Amboio | | 15 |
| 2010-11 | Tesfaye Tafese | Al-Tilal | 15 |
| 2011-12 | Shaaban Naggar | Al Oruba | 14 |

## Total titles won

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third place |
| Al-Ahli Sana'a | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| Al-Tilal Aden | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Al-Wahda Sana'a | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Al-Sha'ab Ibb | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Al-Saqr Ta'izz | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Al-Wahda Aden | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Al Yarmuk Al Rawda | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Al-Shula Aden | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Al-Oruba Zabid | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Al-Zuhra | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Sha'ab San'a | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Shorta Sana'a' | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Shorta Aden | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fahman SCC | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Ittihad Ibb | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Al-Tadamun Hadramaut | 0 | 1 | 0 |
* Al Yarmuk Al Rawda won championships in 1989 and 1990 as Al Yarmouk San'a'

## Total titles won by town or city

Fourteen clubs from a total of five towns and cities have been champions.
| Town or city | Number of titles | Clubs |
| San'a' | 23 | Al-Ahli (11), Al-Wahda (5), Al Yarmouk(3), Al-Oruba(1), Al-Zuhra(1), Al-Sha'ab(1), Al-Shorta Sana'a(1) |
| Aden | 13 | Al-Tilal (8), Al-Wahda (3), Al-Shula (1), Al-Shorta Aden (1) |
| Ta'izz | 3 | Al-Saqr (3) |
| Ibb | 2 | Al-Sha'ab (2) |
| Al Hudaydah | 2 | Al-Hilal (2) |
| Hadramaut | 1 | Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut (1) |
| Mudiyah | 1 | Fahman SCC (1) |