The head coach of the Lebanese national football team, Croatian Nikola Yurcivic, confirmed that "his players feel a strong enthusiasm to start their journey in the AFC World Cup 2026 and Asian Cup qualifiers, as they will face Palestine tomorrow at 16:00 Beirut time at Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in Sharjah, as part of the first round of matches in Group 9, which also includes Australia and Bangladesh." Yurcivic's remarks came during the official press conference preceding the final training session at the match venue, where he emphasized the importance of achieving a good result despite the strength of their opponent, who should not be underestimated.
Yurcivic expressed satisfaction with what his players have shown in recent days during training and prior during the external camp, stating: "I see that the Lebanese national team players are in a high state of focus and have extraordinary enthusiasm for tomorrow's match and others to come; hence, I hope we can give a decent performance and achieve a satisfactory result."
Regarding the absences affecting the team, Yurcivic pointed out that "in the world of football, unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise, and I made sure to select two players for each position. We are not happy with what we have faced in this regard, but as a coach, I like to believe in other players who can fill the gaps in any position."
In response to a question about the Lebanese team playing its home matches away from its territory, he commented, "It is important for any team to play in front of its fans because this gives it additional strength, but we are confronted with realistic circumstances, and I do not want to talk about this matter daily or discuss it with the players, as the important thing is to focus on our style of play and achieve a positive result."
For his part, the captain of the Lebanese team, Hassan Maatouk, began his remarks by expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, stressing, like his coach, the importance of the first match. "This marks a new phase we have entered, ready to engage in this qualification, so I also consider the first two matches to be of equal importance for us to progress in the qualifiers with high morale."
He added: "For us as players, I feel we are fully prepared physically and mentally, and the Lebanese Football Association has been working for some time to secure camps and everything we need to be in the best shape. The atmosphere is very good, and now the ball is in our court to change the status of Lebanese football and draw more attention to us."
