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3. Football – Asian Cup 2027: Lebanon Aims to Maintain Its Lead Against Bhutan

A few months after securing maximum points against Brunei and sharing points with Yemen, Lebanon is back in action. On Thursday at 7:00 PM (Beirut time), at Hamad Al-Kabir Stadium in Doha, Lebanon will face Bhutan with a clear goal: to maintain its lead in Group C of the third qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup.

With four points to their name, Miodrag Radulović's men currently top the group. Behind them, Yemen is close behind (2 points), Brunei has 3 points, and Bhutan is bringing up the rear with just one. Suffice to say that tomorrow's match looks like a tight corner to negotiate: a win would give them a serious advantage before they face the same opponent again next Tuesday, also in Doha.

A Key Match, an Opportunity to Seize

Beyond the points at stake, this match is doubly important for the Lebanese team: to secure a victory that will serve as a springboard and to prepare for the rematch against Bhutan four days later. A winning double would bring Lebanon closer to a third consecutive continental qualification (the fourth in its history).

Radulović has called up his fittest players for this international window. With the arrival of expatriates Hussein Chakroun (Germany) and Sami Merhej (Colombia), the coaching staff has been able to work on automatisms and focus on two specific points: finishing and exploiting the opponent's weaknesses. Each session began with a tactical debriefing on Bhutan's strengths and weaknesses.

Favorable History

The statistics favor the Lebanese. In June 2023, during the South Asian Championship in Bangalore, they beat Bhutan 4–1. More recently, in the AFC Cup, Nejmeh dominated Paro, the Bhutanese champions, 2–1 on their home turf. This is enough to inspire confidence without allowing for complacency.

Rado and Merhej Lead the Charge

At a press conference, Radulović made his intentions clear: "We are taking this game very seriously; there are no easy games in qualifying. Bhutan stood up to Yemen and showed some good things against Brunei. But we have started the campaign well and want to keep up the momentum. I'm happy with the squad, all the players are ready and motivated to get the three points."

Sami Merhej, a young attacking talent, emphasized the team's mindset: "We're all in good shape and highly competitive. This is an opportunity to show the quality of our team, stay at the top, and prove that Lebanon deserves its place among Asia's elite."

Lebanon is aiming for a tenth consecutive unbeaten game in Asian Cup qualifying. If successful, Bhutan would become the 30th team to lose at least twice to the Lebanese. With 33 “home” games, this match will make Qatar the second most frequent host of Lebanon’s national team, behind Lebanon itself with 137. A victory on Thursday would be a first: winning in two different away stadiums during the same Asian campaign. And if the Hamad Al-Kabir Stadium smiles on Radulović's men, it will become the 57th venue for a Lebanese victory, the eleventh in continental qualifiers.