Lebanon

Lebanon open the 2023 Asian Cup against hosts Qatar in the Lusail Stadium on January 12.

What to expect

The Lebanese are in a difficult but well matched group where they are pitted against the hosts as well as China PR and Tajikistan.

In 2019 the Lebanese were also drawn in the same group as eventual tournament winners Qatar. They managed just one win in the group against North Korea.

Lebanon relied on their diaspora playing overseas in 2019, with nine of their 23 player squad being born outside Lebanon. This time round they have seven players in the squad who are playing outside Lebanon.

Pre-tournament warm-up games saw them beat Jordan but lose to Saudi Arabia. They will be competitive but it is difficult to see them progressing past the first round and do have the burden of playing in the high profile opening game against a Qatar desperate to show their public that they are better than 2022 World Cup results suggest.

Star players

Hassan Ali Maatouk with 113 caps is not only leading on appearances but captains the team and is Lebanon’s all-time top goalscorer with 23. Pacey and technically strong, Maatouk became a key part of the national team when he took over captaincy in 2016.

Maatouk was nominated Best Player of the Lebanese Premier League in 2010 and 2011, and currently plays for Al Ansar. With Fujairah in the UAE, Maatouk scored 56 goals in 110 games, becoming the club’s all-time top goalscorer. He has also scored over 100 goals in the Lebanese Premier League, winning the Golden Boot twice, in 2011 and 2021.

Goalkeeper Mostafa Matar will be vital for any chances of success. Matar’s debut only came a few months after the Asian Cup UAE 2019, but since then, he has not looked back, establishing himself as the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the Cedars.

Head coach

Miodrag Radulovic was appointed in December to replace Nikola Jurcevic and joins the Lebanese for a second stint having been in charge during the country’s appearance at the last AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2019.

Radulovic started his management career as an assistant at Boavista in Portugal. After a period with the Montenegrin youth teams he was hired by Lebanon in 2015. After the 2019 Asian Cup he departed Lebanon and was appointed head coach of the Montenegor national team ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. After failure to quaify for the Euro 2024 finals he resigned from Montenegro on December 11, 2023 .Days later he was re-appointed coach of Lebanon in time for the Asian Cup.

Schedule

Qatar vs Lebanon, January 12, Lusail Stadium, 7pm

Lebanon vs China, January 17, Al Thumama Stadium, 2.30pm

Tajikistan vs Lebanon, January 22, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, 6pm

Squad