©LFA
The Lebanese national football team is set to play a decisive match against Tajikistan this Monday, January 22, at 5 PM Beirut time, on the third and final day of the Asian Cup group stage.
The Cedars know they have no choice but to win to qualify for the Round of 32 for the first time in their history. The team picked up their first point in their last match against China, who have two points from two draws against Tajikistan and Lebanon. China will face Qatar, which has already qualified after two consecutive wins.
Particular attention is being paid to this meeting between Lebanon and Tajikistan, following The Cedars' remarkable performance against China. Montenegrin coach Miodrag Radulović highlighted the challenges faced by the team and his optimism for the match ahead, saying, "Football rewards serious work. It's a big, crucial match for us in front of our home crowd. I think we'll all be happy at the end of the match. We've worked hard to improve our efficiency, and I'm convinced our players can break the goal fast tomorrow."
Croatian coach Peter Šegrt, who previously faced Lebanon's team as Afghanistan's coach in 2016, describes the match as a "final." He expresses his respect for the Lebanese team but asserts his intention to deliver a historic match, adding, "I believe in the abilities of all the players, and we are capable of scoring goals, and we want to win to continue in the tournament."
Lebanon will be relying mainly on the great passion of its players to qualify, as well as on a large number of supporters expected to fill the stands at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium of the Al-Sadd club in Doha.
Despite the challenges, the Lebanese team's morale remains high. Player Khalil Khamis stresses the importance of the support from Lebanese fans in Doha, declaring, "I thank them all; they will be our motivation tomorrow, and we want to qualify to delight our fans here and also in Lebanon."
In the run-up to the crucial match, the Lebanese team suffered a setback with the injury to player Hassan "Soony" Saad, adding his name to the list of absentees, which already included midfielder Jihad Ayoub from the start of the tournament, as well as the loss of defender Nour Mansour early on against China. Prior to this, Felix Melki had to leave the training camp due to an injury.
Qualifying Possibilities for Second Place in Group 1:
- Lebanon qualifies by winning against Tajikistan, and China loses against Qatar.
- China qualifies by beating Qatar or drawing, provided Tajikistan and Lebanon draw, or China loses to Qatar by specific scores.
- Tajikistan qualifies by beating Lebanon and if China loses to Qatar, or by drawing with Lebanon while China loses to Qatar by a specific goal difference.
The Cedars know they have no choice but to win to qualify for the Round of 32 for the first time in their history. The team picked up their first point in their last match against China, who have two points from two draws against Tajikistan and Lebanon. China will face Qatar, which has already qualified after two consecutive wins.
Particular attention is being paid to this meeting between Lebanon and Tajikistan, following The Cedars' remarkable performance against China. Montenegrin coach Miodrag Radulović highlighted the challenges faced by the team and his optimism for the match ahead, saying, "Football rewards serious work. It's a big, crucial match for us in front of our home crowd. I think we'll all be happy at the end of the match. We've worked hard to improve our efficiency, and I'm convinced our players can break the goal fast tomorrow."
Croatian coach Peter Šegrt, who previously faced Lebanon's team as Afghanistan's coach in 2016, describes the match as a "final." He expresses his respect for the Lebanese team but asserts his intention to deliver a historic match, adding, "I believe in the abilities of all the players, and we are capable of scoring goals, and we want to win to continue in the tournament."
Lebanon will be relying mainly on the great passion of its players to qualify, as well as on a large number of supporters expected to fill the stands at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium of the Al-Sadd club in Doha.
Despite the challenges, the Lebanese team's morale remains high. Player Khalil Khamis stresses the importance of the support from Lebanese fans in Doha, declaring, "I thank them all; they will be our motivation tomorrow, and we want to qualify to delight our fans here and also in Lebanon."
In the run-up to the crucial match, the Lebanese team suffered a setback with the injury to player Hassan "Soony" Saad, adding his name to the list of absentees, which already included midfielder Jihad Ayoub from the start of the tournament, as well as the loss of defender Nour Mansour early on against China. Prior to this, Felix Melki had to leave the training camp due to an injury.
Qualifying Possibilities for Second Place in Group 1:
- Lebanon qualifies by winning against Tajikistan, and China loses against Qatar.
- China qualifies by beating Qatar or drawing, provided Tajikistan and Lebanon draw, or China loses to Qatar by specific scores.
- Tajikistan qualifies by beating Lebanon and if China loses to Qatar, or by drawing with Lebanon while China loses to Qatar by a specific goal difference.
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