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3. Footballer Celine Haidar Remains in Critical Condition Following Israeli Strike

Lebanon's national football player, Celine Haidar, underwent successful head surgery on Saturday. However, she remains in a coma in the intensive care unit at Roum Hospital in Ashrafiyeh.

Haidar was injured on Saturday morning in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Chiyah area in southern Beirut.

In an interview with This is Beirut, the women's national football team media liaison officer, Maroun Mahfoud, shared that Celine remains in a coma following a six-hour surgery aimed at stopping the bleeding and relieving pressure on her brain. As of the time of writing, there is no information on when she might wake up.

“We still do not know her situation, the extent of the damage to her brain, or its effects. We can't know that until she wakes up from the coma,” Mahfoud said.

Haidar was transferred from Saint George Hospital to Roum Hospital on Saturday, but the transfer was delayed due to Israeli bombings near the Hospital in Hadath.

“Celine is a beloved player and one of the best in the league. Many players are deeply affected by this incident, as shown by the large number of teammates waiting at the hospital,” Mahfoud added.

“What we must do now is channel our anger and emotions about the attack on Celine in the right direction: by motivating ourselves to perform even better and win the tournament, while we await Celine’s recovery and her return to the field,” he noted.

The Lebanese U-19 national women’s team is preparing to compete in the 2024 West Asian Women’s Youth Championship, set to take place in Aqaba, Jordan, from November 27 to December 7. The team aims to defend its title, having won the tournament in 2019 and 2022, after finishing as runners-up in 2018 to Jordan.

Meanwhile, the U-19 women’s team began its training camp last Thursday. “The second camp will run from Thursday to Sunday, and the following Tuesday we will head to Jordan to play in the tournament,” Mahfoud said.

Lebanese women’s football was gearing up for a much-anticipated season, with plans to host matches against strong regional teams like Iran. However, these plans have been disrupted by the ongoing war and instability in the country.

Mahfoud also noted that Celine Haidar was about to get her first opportunity to train with the senior team before the war escalated and the tragic incident occurred.