Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Beirut: Lebanon remained in contention for a spot at the FIFA World Cup 2018 and AFC Asian Cup 2019 after downing Laos 7-0 in their Group G qualifying match at the Municipal Stadium on Thursday.
A stunning 15-minute, four goal barrage from Lebanon saw the hosts reach half-time with a comfortable lead with Hassan Chaito registering a brace.
Lebanon were applying pressure throughout the opening period as Youssef Mohamad got the breakthrough goal, nodding home Mohamad Haidar's free kick on 27 minutes.
The Lebanese doubled their advantage on 34 minutes thanks to Roda Antar. An incisive through ball by the influential Haidar found Hassan Maatouk whose chipped cross was headed over Laos goalkeeper Bounthisanh and into the net by the number 20.
Lebanon grabbed a third shortly after, Maatouk once again finding the byline and a splendid cross to tee up Chaito, who made no mistake in slotting past Bounthisanh just two minutes later.
And then it was four for Lebanon as Bounthisanh could can only palm a Maatouk cross into the path of the onrushing Ali Hamam who slammed home on 42 minutes.
Maatouk finally had the goal his wonderful wing play deserved when he won the ball in the Laos penalty area before dribbling to the byline and poking past Bounthisanh on 59 minutes.
Joan Oumari clinched his side’s sixth goal with a stunning volley from outside of the penalty area on the stroke of full time, before Chaito grabbed his second, and his side's seventh, when he rounded the goalkeeper before coolly slotting home three minutes into stoppage time.
The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.