Bangkok: Lebanon kicked-off their 2018 AFC Futsal Championship West Zone Qualifiers campaign with a 3-1 win over Jordan on Saturday.
Jordan started the match cautiously, knowing that even a draw would mean a top two finish, but Lebanon were looking to open their qualifying campaign with a win.
Salah Mohd Yusri's charges were mostly pinned back in their half, but would sporadically break out of from their zonal defence to a man-to-man marking which limited Lebanon's hold of the ball.
Lebanon, however, took the lead in the sixth minute, when Jordanian goalkeeper Yusef Ahmad tried to block a corner kick, only for it rebound into goal.
Fiteen minutes in, Jordan's fifth foul saw Lebanon awarded a free-kick in front of the box. The goalmouth look impenetrable with five men standing in front, but the ball bounced off the Jordanian wall and into the net.
Mutaz Mohd Musa Abu (pictured below) had a few attempts that gave Lebanon a reminder of Jordan's prowess.
Three minutes later, he could have reduced the deficit when he dribbled past Lebanon's defence but his shot struck the upright, which sent a wave of disappointment in the Jordanian camp.
Jordan started the second half brightly with Majdi Waleed Faiq fighting off two defenders before his cross found Ahmad Amer Samara, who hit home to make it 2-1.
The back-and-forth encounter was truly action packed and in the 31st minute, quick one-touch passes by Lebanon's Ali Tenich and Ali El Homsi resulted in a goal, with El Homsi etching his name on the scoresheet.
Jordan could hardly retain ball possession, and when they did, their direct passes were easily intercepted.
With that, their qualifying campaign ended with three points, level with Lebanon.
Lebanon will qualify for the Finals if they avoid defeat against Qatar in their final match on Sunday.
Shahab Sofalmanesh: Lebanon Head Coach
"Today was our first game, and every minute into the game, the players got used to the pitch, atmosphere and pressure. Before the match, we have analysed Jordan's past performance, even in the 2017 Asian Indoor Games in Turkmenistan. We knew what they were capable off, and we identified every player as well. From now on, we will forget about today and we will face Qatar tomorrow as the finals."
Juma Ibrahim: Jordan team representative
"We had a good game today, but we made two mistakes that cost us the game. Lebanon is a good team for sure, but in the future, we will need to play without these mistakes. We will wait for tomorrow's result, but we are confident we are going to qualify."
Photos: Football Association of Thailand
Source: the-afc.com