Lebanon's national football team was plagued by bad luck, ending in a goalless draw against China in a match held at Al Thumama Stadium in front of approximately 15,000 spectators. This was the opening match of the second round of Group A in the Asian Cup taking place in Qatar. The "Cedars" put on a strong performance across various levels, thanks in part to several changes made by Montenegrin head coach Miodrag Radulović to his lineup, which resulted in greater defensive solidity, liveliness in midfield, and danger in attack.
Despite losing a player to injury, center-back Nour Mansour, who had to be substituted in the 18th minute, Lebanon maintained a balance between defense and offense and deserved to score in the first half, being the better, more dangerous, and more possession-oriented team. Particularly in the middle of the half, they had a double chance after a shot from Hassan Maatouk saved by Chinese goalkeeper Junling Yan, followed by a header from Omar Shabaan that just went over the crossbar from a cross by Hussein Zain. Shabaan also hit the side netting ten minutes later, followed by a dangerous header from Khalil Khamis, who started the match and delivered a high-level performance.
However, the most dangerous opportunity came just before the halftime whistle when Maatouk struck a beautiful arching shot that hit the Chinese crossbar. The trend of Lebanese chances continued in the second half, alongside a streak of bad luck, as the crossbar denied another attempt from outstanding midfielder Hassan Sarour in the 53rd minute. Ten minutes later, Sarour was again thwarted by goalkeeper Yan. The only significant Chinese opportunity was a shot cleared by Khamis before it could enter the net.
In the end, the match concluded with a goalless draw, giving Lebanon its first point, while China has two points, having previously drawn with Tajikistan, who are currently playing against Qatar. Lebanese player Basel Gradi was named Man of the Match, stating in the press conference, "This award belongs to the entire team because every player today was great." He added, "I am very happy because we are improving from match to match, and we will now work to win against Tajikistan to qualify for the next round."
Representing Lebanon were goalkeeper Mustafa Matar, and players Hussein Zain, Khalil Khamis, Nour Mansour (Alex Maleki 18), Qassem Al-Zein, Maher Sabra, Hassan Sarour (Walid Shour 93), Ali Tanish, Basel Gradi, Hassan Maatouk (Mohammad Haidar 71), and Omar Shabaan (Hilal Al-Haloua 93).
Moreover, Lebanese national team coach Miodrag Radulović praised his players' performance in the match against China, held Wednesday during the second round of group stage matches in the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar. In statements highlighted by the official account of the Lebanese Football Association on X, he said, "Once again, we delivered a great match following our first encounter against Qatar; I am very proud of my team."
He added, "We weren't lucky to score today, but we did a fantastic job that we can build on for the next stage," and continued, "We managed to solve many issues within the team, and I would like to thank the Lebanese fans for their support and encouragement throughout the match." Lebanon is set to face Tajikistan in a decisive match in the third round in search of a win to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
