SANAA, Yemen — They poured into the streets from houses and cafes, their cheers soaring over a cacophony of fireworks and celebratory gunfire.
After seven years of division, Yemenis united on Monday over a rare bit of good news in a country ravaged by a deadly civil war: Their under-15 boys’ soccer team won the West Asia junior football championship, defeating neighboring Saudi Arabia for the title.
The win elicited a cascade of national pride across the country, from the north — where the Iranian-backed Houthi militants are in power — to the south, which remains under the control of the internationally recognized government, backed by Riyadh.