Yahoo Maktoob connects avid football fans with exciting football products

Dubai, UAE - September 10, 2013 - With football being one of the most passionate habits for sports fans and Yahoo users alike, Yahoo Maktoob is announcing two new product launches in the Middle East. The Arabic football app previously launched on iOS, is now launching on Android, plus Yahoo is also launching the Yahoo Fantasy Premier League in Arabic.

The launch of the new Arabic football app for Android users brings a full-featured Arabic app that allows football fans in the Middle East to stay up to date and connected to their favorite sports teams' news, both locally and internationally. The app also has end-to-end sharing capabilities for users to connect and share news, scores, and updates with other football friends via Facebook and Twitter.
                          
Adel Shehadeh, Product Manager at Yahoo Maktoob said: “After a successful launch of the football app on iPhone just a few months ago, we wanted to cater to a wider audience by reaching out to the Android user. We are thrilled to continue to enrich users with a highly engaging, content driven Arabic sports application with user-friendly functions and content accessibility.”

He added, “Football fans in this region seek one platform to get updates, news, up to the minute live scores and match details. With this in mind, the app was developed for those users on the go, delivering a football mobile companion unlike any other in the region with seamless social media sharing across the app.”

Football App Features on Android
The first version of the Android app supports handsets running Android 2.3+ with Arabic support and can be downloaded here: http://y.ahoo.it/iOWHe

The key features of the new Android application include:
○ Live and full coverage of the latest regional and international championships and leagues in areas such as the Middle East and Europe including minute by minute updates on the games, goals, yellow and red cards, penalties, as well as information about match timings, stadium, stadium map, capacity and referee.
○ Ability to obtain match specific information during a season with a simple swipe.
○ Ability to post and share match updates and news on championships and leagues seamlessly via Facebook and Twitter across the app.
○ Ability to view news on teams, matches, and players by selecting the championships or leagues and customizing the display according to what users are most interested in.
○ Competitions section shows leagues tables in addition to chronological coverage of competitions knockout stage and group stage.

Follow the hashtag #YMFootball on Twitter and see how people are sharing with the Yahoo Maktoob Football app.

While keeping up to date with football news on both Android and iOS devices is one thing Yahoo has focused on, creating a fantasy football league is another daily habit for football  fanatics this season.

Yahoo continues to focus on creating innovative products that are both engaging and inspiring people through their daily habits. With that in mind, the Yahoo Fantasy Football Premier League is giving users the opportunity to create their own leagues and challenge their friends and other football fans through a one-of-a-kind sports product for the region.

Amira Rashad, Head of Media, Yahoo Maktoob commented, “To put it simply, Yahoo Fantasy  Football is a sports product that offers users an entertaining way to play football. Essentially, users will be able to create their own league in three easy steps and can act as Fantasy Sports Football Managers for their leagues.”

Yahoo Fantasy is easy to use with the complete end-to-end fantasy experience available across all devices and desktops. The game is fully optimized for mobile, meaning players can manage their team while on the go.

Whether it is keeping up to date on football news or creating a personal fantasy league, Yahoo is the go-to place for all of the latest information available in the region.