Lebanon’s football team captain and star, Hassan Maatouk, concluded his international career in the best possible way, leading his country to a significant 4-0 victory over Bangladesh in the final match of Group 9 of the joint Asian qualifiers. The match, held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, was Maatouk's last, where he was honored before the game, which marked his 123rd appearance on the international stage. He received a special jersey adorned with this number, a commemorative plaque, and a bouquet of flowers from his teammates.
The number 7 did not want to leave his team without a big win, scoring a "hat-trick" that raised his international goals tally to 26, solidifying his status as the top scorer in the history of the national team. Lebanon dominated most of the match amid timid attempts from their opponent. Maatouk opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a penalty, and Nader Matar added the second goal in the second minute of stoppage time, converting a close-range chance after receiving the ball inside the penalty area.
Maatouk penned an ideal ending to his career with the national team before being substituted in the 62nd minute to the applause of both teams’ fans, having scored two goals within 10 minutes (50 and 60) following two decisive passes from Karim Darwish, which he beautifully finished into the net to complete his "hat-trick".
With this result, Lebanon secured third place in the group, raising its points tally to 6 and thus qualifying for the first level of the draw for the Asian qualifiers, set to begin on March 25, 2025, where 24 teams will be divided into 6 groups with the group leaders advancing to the finals of the continental championship.
The Lebanese team consisted of: goalkeeper Mustafa Matar, and players Hussein Zein (substituted for Maher Sabra at 42), Qassem Al-Zein, Nasar Nasar, Jihad Ayoub, Mohammad Haidar (substituted for Ali Al-Haj at 71), Nader Matar, Ali Tanish, Karim Darwish (substituted for Daniel Lahoud at 71), Hassan Maatouk (substituted for Hassan Sirour at 62), Omar Shaaban (substituted for Leonardo Shahin at 62).