The Lebanon men's basketball team has taken the lead in the Asian Group Three after winning their first match in the "third window" of the World Cup qualifiers set to take place next year. They avenged their previous loss against Jordan, winning with a score of 89-70 in a packed arena at Nohad Nawfal Sports Complex (Zouk Mikael) on Friday night. The game was attended by a large crowd of basketball fans, filling the stands hours before the match, along with numerous political and sports figures.
With this victory over Jordan (ranked 39th globally and 8th in Asia), Lebanon (ranked 54th globally and 9th in Asia) registered 9 points (four wins and one loss against Jordan). Saudi Arabia, which defeated Indonesia 69-67 on Friday, now has 8 points (three wins and two losses) alongside Jordan.
Lebanon will face Saudi Arabia next at 9 PM on Monday, July 4, at the same venue, where they have good chances to secure another victory, having previously beaten them in Jeddah in February. This win would position Lebanon to finish the three windows of the first round at the top of their group, enhancing their hopes of participating in the World Cup for the fourth time.
Lebanon deserved the victory as they managed to turn a six-point deficit in the first quarter into a significant lead of 46-28 by the end of the second quarter, limiting the Jordanians to just 7 points in this quarter. The Lebanese team continued their march towards victory, finishing the match at 89-70.
From the start of the second quarter, the Lebanese team dominated the atmosphere of the game, greatly aided by the support of their fans. The qualifying system dictates that the top three teams from each of the four groups will advance to the second round, which ensures that Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia will qualify for the final round. They will join New Zealand and the Philippines (which have already qualified as host countries alongside Japan). Indonesia, the third host country, can secure direct qualification by reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup, while India will also be part of the second group of six teams.
Lebanon will play against New Zealand, the Philippines, and India (home and away) in the "fourth window" (August 2022), the "fifth window" (November 2022), and the "sixth and final window" (February 2023) to determine which teams will qualify from the Asian and Oceania continents for the World Cup finals. It's noteworthy that teams advancing to the second round will carry over points accumulated in the first round, which is an important factor to consider.
