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Lebanon put a golden finishing touch on their Beirut Cup. Solid and focused, Perisic’s players controlled Egypt and thrilled their fans. A victory that speaks volumes ahead of the Asia Cup.

Zouk Mikaël vibrated until the end. In a sold-out Nouhad Nawfal arena, Lebanon dominated Egypt 87–74 to win the second edition of the Beirut Cup — a friendly tournament that has grown into something far more meaningful. Collective control, shooting accuracy, committed defense: Miodrag Perisic’s men did not falter.

An Electric Final
In a heated atmosphere, and in front of nearly 2,500 spectators, the Lebanese got off to a good start. Controlled quarters (25-23, 21-16, 19-16, 22-19), rebounding dominance (45 to 30), clean ball movement (22 assists), defensive aggressiveness... all the ingredients were there.

The Lebanese starting five, led by Finals MVP Dedric Lawson (22 pts, 9 rebs), delivered a flawless performance. Amir Saoud dazzled once again (16 pts, 6 assists), Jad Khalil lit the long-range fuse (12 pts on 4/6 from three), while Youssef Khayat (10 pts, 10 rebs) did the dirty work on both ends. Zeinoun, El Darwich, and Hadidian also contributed to the effort.

On the other side, Egypt tried to resist. Led by Ihab Amin (17 pts) and Khaled Abdelnasser (14 pts), the Pharaohs battled hard but never managed to shake a confident Lebanese squad.

Between Emotion and Unity
Before tip-off, the crowd paid tribute to the late Ziad Rahbani with an emotional “minute of applause.” At halftime, Lebanon’s U16 champions — recent West Asia winners — were honored with a guard of honor formed by their seniors.

In the stands were several notable figures: Akram Halabi (FLB president), Charbel Rizk (secretary general), Nadim Hakim, Mazen Tabbara, Jassem Kanso, coaches Ghassan Sarkis and Fouad Abou Chacra — and of course, legend Ismail Ahmad.

Individual Awards
At the final buzzer, the celebration continued with the trophy ceremony. Dedric Lawson was named Best Player of the Final, while Amir Saoud took home the Tournament MVP title. Youssef Khayat finished as top scorer, and Jad Khalil as Best Shooter — a harvest worthy of the team’s collective performance.

A title, a collective demonstration, and blazing stands: the Lebanese wrapped up their tournament in style.