The Lebanon national football team will conclude its internal camp in Tripoli tomorrow, Thursday, with an international friendly match against Jordan at the Rashid Karamé Municipal Stadium. The match, set to start at 14:00, will be held behind closed doors at the request of both teams, especially as it holds significant technical importance for them, coming just two weeks before the start of their journey in the Asian Cup finals hosted by Qatar starting January 12.
Thus, the work of the coaching staff, led by Montenegrin head coach Miodrag Radulovic, focused on simulating Jordan's playing style, which relies on constantly seeking empty spaces to advance into the penalty area and playing long balls behind the defenders. This will create considerable challenges for our team to test its capabilities in quick defensive recovery and adequate coverage, in addition to the tight marking that is supposed to be present to disrupt the opponent's playmaking.
Radulovic emphasized in his remarks to the media, who notably attended the training in a session dedicated to press interviews, that "the match against Jordan is of great importance as it will give us an idea of where we currently stand. The time is short for us to elevate our level to the degree we hope for, so this type of match helps us identify weaknesses and work on correcting mistakes."
He added, "The most important thing is that the medical report is good during this sensitive period, as there are no injuries within the squad except for Jihad Ayub, who is recovering from a muscle tear, which is a reassuring matter." He concluded with optimism, stating, "I am confident in this group and believe that over time they will be able to deliver what the Lebanese fans are yearning for in terms of victories."
Radulovic has not lost in four previous matches against the "Nashami," drawing three and winning one, which was a friendly match decided by a goal from Omar Boghil on September 6, 2018, held in Al-Qweismeh, as part of preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup finals.
While Radulovic aims to maintain his unbeaten record against the Jordanians and achieve his first win since returning to coach the "Cedars," the Jordanian team seeks a moral victory, the first under Moroccan coach Hussein Amouta, who has led the "Nashami" in six matches, losing four and drawing two.
The Jordanian team will compete in the continental finals for the fifth time in its history, placed in Group E alongside South Korea, Bahrain, and Malaysia. It is noteworthy that they will meet Qatari and Japanese teams for friendlies in Doha at the beginning of next month in preparation for the finals, while Lebanon will play a final friendly on the fourth of the same month against the Saudi team in Qatar's capital, which they will travel to on the first day of the new year.
**Lebanon vs. Jordan by the Numbers**
- Lebanon has played 32 matches against Jordan, winning eight, drawing 13, and losing 11, scoring 32 goals.
- The national team has faced Jordan in 17 friendly matches, four times in the Arab Games, four times in the West Asian Championship, three matches in the Arab Cup, one in the qualifiers for the same tournament, and three matches in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
- Nine countries have hosted matches between Lebanon and Jordan, with 13 matches held in Jordan, 10 in Lebanon, two in Kuwait and Syria, and one each in Egypt, Iraq, Cyprus, Qatar, and the UAE.
- The first match between Lebanon and Jordan took place in the Arab Games in 1953 in Alexandria, where the "Cedars" lost 1-4 under Austrian coach Vincenz Dietrich, scoring their only goal through Joseph Abu Murad.
- Lebanon's first victory over Jordan came in their second encounter in the Arab Games on October 22, 1957, at the Kamil Shamon Sports City Stadium, finishing 6-3, with Mardiros "Mardik" Chaparyan (2), Levon Altunyan (22), Robert Shahadeh, and Joseph Abu Murad scoring for Lebanon.
- Three players are tied as the top scorers against Jordan with four goals each: Levon Altunyan, Joseph Abu Murad, and Haitham Zain, the only one to have scored a hat-trick against Jordan during the 3-1 victory on August 23, 1999, in the Arab Games held in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
