Our national team tied with Lebanon at the start of its World Cup qualifiers

The point is not enough.. The problem is in the "final touch"

Ali Mabkhout hits one of his balls that did not find its way to the goal.

Photography: Osama Abu Ghanem

The national team wasted two points by drawing against Lebanon without goals, yesterday, at Al-Wasl Stadium in Zabeel in the first round of the first group for the third stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, so that Al-Abyad was satisfied with obtaining one point at the beginning of his career in the decisive stage of the qualifiers, as it witnessed The same group, Iran's victory over Syria with a goal without a response, and South Korea's draw with Iraq without goals.

Al-Abyad paid the price of wasting many easy opportunities in the first half, to waste two valuable points, while the team plays with Syria in the second round in Jordan, next Tuesday.

The national team was equal in second place with the teams of Iraq, South Korea and Lebanon, with one point for each team, while the first group was led by Iran with three points, while Syria was at the bottom of the group without credit.

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk maintained the squad in which the team played the second leg of the qualifiers last June, and made one change, which is the participation of the young Al Wahda player, Abdullah Hamad Al Menhali, in the midfield instead of Al Jazira player Abdullah Ramadan.

The Lebanese national team dominated the midfield in the first minutes of the match, and Hassan Maatouk almost scored the first goal of an organized attack, led by Basil Jaradi, who passed a ball behind the "Al-Abyad" defenders, and it reached Matouk, who hit a powerful ball that goalkeeper Ali Khaseef saved, and Fabio Lima pushed it away. to a corner kick (4). On the other hand, the national team entered the atmosphere of the meeting in the ninth minute, after Mahmoud Khamis moved to the left side, and played a cross that Ali Mabkhout met with a shot that passed next to the post, while Mabkhout missed a real chance to score the first goal, when Ali Salmin led an organized attack and passed the ball to Fabio Lima , who played a beautiful ball, after which he was alone in the goal, but he hit the ball next to the post (18).

And “Al-Abyad” became the most dominant in the game after 20 minutes, especially after Bandar Al-Ahbabi and Fabio Lima were active in the middle of the field, while Mabkhout continued to waste easy opportunities, when he received another wonderful pass from Lima, and Mabkhout was unique in the goal and evaded Lebanon goalkeeper, Mustafa Matar. And he hit a beautiful ball that bounced off the post and went out to a goal kick (33), for his part, Abdullah Hamad hit a strong ball that passed next to the post (35).

In the 41st minute, Shaheen Abdul Rahman threatened the "Rice Men" goal, when Bandar Al-Ahbabi played a corner kick and Abdul Rahman met the ball with a beautiful shot that goalkeeper Mustafa Matar saved, while Bandar Al-Ahbabi played a dangerous free kick over the crossbar (44), before Cayo Canedo missed an easy opportunity from A cross ball, played by Bandar Al-Ahbabi, was met by Caio with a shot over the crossbar, in the first minute of overtime.

As for the second half, the Lebanese team repeated the scenario of the first half, after the visiting team started the attack, and Hassan Maatouk threatened the "Al-Abyad" goal twice, the first with a shot over the crossbar, and the second from a ball shot by the Lebanon striker and Ali Khaseef saved it.

For his part, the national team again dominated the midfield, but without a threat to the goal, and Ali Mabkhout hit a strong ball next to the post (65), while coach Marvik made the first substitution by landing Abdullah Ramadan instead of Abdullah Al-Menhali.

And “Al-Abyad” pressed in the last 10 minutes of the meeting, and Abdullah Ramadan, Fabio Lima and Ali Mabkhout were active, and Lima almost scored the first goal from a ball he received inside the penalty area, but the defense of the Lebanese team pushed the ball away from Lima (82), while Marvik made the second switch by landing. Khalfan Mubarak instead of Majed Hassan (84), and he was followed by two substitutions, Tahnoun Al Zaabi and Khalifa Al Hammadi, instead of Fabio Lima and Shaheen Abdul Rahman (88), but the players lost focus in ending the attacks, so the match ended with a tie for the two teams.