Deadline Set: Lebanon and Yemen Duel for Asian Cup 2027 Qualification

Lebanon and Yemen Prepare for a Decisive Playoff

Lebanon and Yemen both claimed important wins in the fifth round of Asian Cup qualifiers, setting up a winner-takes-all playoff for a spot in the 2027 tournament in Saudi Arabia. Lebanon defeated Brunei 3-0 away, while Yemen routed Bhutan 7-1 at home.

Lebanon tightened its grip on Group 2, moving to 13 points, two ahead of Yemen on 11. Brunei sits third with 3 points and Bhutan last with 1. The final slate of matches will be played on March 31, completing the group stage.

With a draw enough for the Lebanese to book their ticket, the Yemeni team knows they must win to leapfrog over their rival and reach the finals.

Key moments included Malik Fakhro opening the scoring for Lebanon just two minutes after kickoff with a long-range lob that surprised the Brunei goalkeeper. An enforced substitution followed when star striker Ali Qassas was injured, with Khader Qadour coming on in his stead.

Sami Merhej had a first-half penalty saved by Brunei’s keeper after a handball, but he bounced back to net his seventh international goal in 11 appearances, heading home a cross from veteran Haidar just before halftime (45+2).

Omar Shaaban “Bougil” added a third on the first touch of a set piece delivered by Haidar (59). The Yemenis, meanwhile, overwhelmed Bhutan with a seven-goal performance on Kuwaiti soil, led by a four-goal blitz from Nasser Mohammed Al-Ghawashi (21, 58, 85, 89). Haroun Al-Zubaydi opened the scoring (16), with Adil Abbas and Omar Jolan adding the fourth and fifth (76, 82).

The day was not only about Lebanon and Yemen; Syria continued its surge by hammering Pakistan 5-0 in Islamabad, with Mohammed Al-Halakh and Yasin Samia among the scorers (34, 47, 79, 90+4, 90). The group standings reflect Syria’s strong five-win run, while others in the region jockey for position as qualification beckons.

Across the rest of the groups, Tajikistan led Group 1 with 13 points after a 5-0 win over Timor-Leste in Darwin, while the Philippines beat the Maldives 2-0 in Male. Singapore extended their lead in Group 3 with a 2-1 win over Hong Kong in Hong Kong, and Turkmenistan stayed atop Group 4 after beating Chinese Taipei 3-1 in Ashgabat. In Group 6, Malaysia’s 1-0 victory over Nepal kept them unbeaten at 15 points, with Vietnam second and Laos trailing in the standings.

In the broader view, the top team from each group advances to the Asian Cup finals alongside 18 already-qualified teams from the World Cup qualifiers, making every remaining match a high-stakes duel.

Note: The field is wide open, and the final round could reshape the lineups for Asia’s continental showpiece in 2027.

Caption: Lebanon and Yemen’s road to the Asia Cup 2027 hinges on a single high-stakes playoff.

Punchline 1: If the playoff were a sniper shot, Lebanon and Yemen would have just taken the headshot of indecision—goal, right on target.

Punchline 2: They say good things come in threes; for these teams, it’s wins, goals, and a playoff to decide who gets the trip to Saudi Arabia.