Lebanon national under-20 football team
The Lebanon national under-20 football team (Arabic: منتخب لبنان تحت 20 سنة لكرة القدم) is the national under-20 football team of Lebanon and is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association. The team also serves as the national under-19 and national under-18 football teams of Lebanon.
| Nickname(s) | منتخب الشباب (The Youth Team) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Lebanon Football Association (الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Bilal Fleifel | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | LBN | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
(Tehran, Iran; 16 April 1973) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
(Dushanbe, Tajikistan; 18 September 2022) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
(Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; 2 November 2011) | |||
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1973) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1973) | ||
| Arab Cup U-20 | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1985) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1985, 2021, 2022) | ||
| WAFF U-18 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2021) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2021) | ||
While the team has never qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, they have participated twice in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, in 1973 and in 2008, with their best result being reaching the quarter-finals in the 1973 edition.[1][2] In the 2021 WAFF U-18 Championship, the U18 team made history by becoming the first Lebanon men's national team to reach a final, losing to hosts Iraq on penalty-shootouts.[3] They also participate in the Arab Cup U-20 and Jeux de la Francophonie, failing to go past the group stage in both competitions.
Notable former under-20 players include Nour Mansour, Rabih Ataya, and Mohamad Haidar,[4] who all went on to play for the senior side.[5]
Competitive record
FIFA U-20 World Cup
| FIFA U-20 World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | The 1988 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| The 1990 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 1992 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 1994 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 1996 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 1998 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 2000 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | The 2004 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| The 2006 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 2008 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | The 2012 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| The 2014 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 2016 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| The 2018 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||||
| To be decided | The 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup will serve as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
AFC U-20 Asian Cup
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| Quarter-finals | 5th of 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | Qualified as invitees | ||||||||
| Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 3rd of 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 4th of 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 4th of 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |||||||||||
| Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Round 1 | 15th of 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | Squad | 2nd of 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | ||
| Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 3rd of 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 3rd of 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 3rd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2nd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2nd of 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | |||||||||||
| Total | Best: quarter-finals | 2/41 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | — | Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Arab Cup U-20
| Arab Cup U-20 record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Group stage | 9th of 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Cancelled | |||||||||
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Group stage | 15th of 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | — | |
| Group stage | 14th of 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Squad | |
| Total | Best: group stage | 1/5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 14 | — |
WAFF U-18 Championship
| WAFF U-18 Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Runners-up | 2nd of 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | |
| Total | Best: N/A | 1/2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
Mediterranean Games
| Mediterranean Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation, city and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
1951–1987 |
See Lebanon national football team | ||||||||
| See Lebanon national under-23 football team | |||||||||
| See Lebanon national under-21 football team | |||||||||
| See Lebanon national under-23 football team | |||||||||
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | — | 0/4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Jeux de la Francophonie
| Jeux de la Francophonie record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation, city and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| Did not participate | |||||||||
| Group stage | 9th of 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Squad | |
| Group stage | 14 of 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | Squad | |
| Group stage | 13 of 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Squad | |
| Group stage | 8th of 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Squad | |
| Total | Best: group stage | 4/9 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 26 | — |
Recent results and matches
2023
| 29 July 2023 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie GS | Cameroon | 1–1 | | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 18:00 UTC+1 |
|
|
Stadium: Stade Tata Raphaël |
| 2 August 2023 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie GS | Lebanon | 0–5 | | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 15:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade Tata Raphaël |
Players
The following players were called up for the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie.[6]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Joseph Bitar | ||||
| 22 | GK | William Sinan | ||||
| 2 | DF | Joe Khawaja | ||||
| 3 | DF | Rawad Al Jaitani | 2 April 2005 | |||
| 4 | DF | Mahmoud Saif Eddin | ||||
| 5 | DF | Ahmed Metayrek | ||||
| 6 | DF | Kassem Watfa | ||||
| 12 | DF | Ryan El Khoury | ||||
| 14 | DF | Mahdi Asseily | ||||
| 8 | MF | Hassan Jaafar | ||||
| 11 | MF | Ibrahim Mhanna | ||||
| 13 | MF | Adam Kobeisy | ||||
| 15 | MF | Miguel Karim Karam | ||||
| 16 | MF | Hassan Salami | ||||
| 18 | MF | Hassan Nasser | ||||
| 7 | FW | Uday Al Shamuri | ||||
| 9 | FW | Muhammad Kassas | ||||
| 10 | FW | Ali Fakih | ||||
| 19 | FW | Karim Kassem | ||||
| 20 | FW | Ali Melhem | ||||
See also
References
- Morrison, Neil (18 June 2015). "Asian U-19 Championship 1973". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Zlotkowski, Andre; Di Maggio, Roberto (15 July 2011). "Asian U-20 Championship 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Al-Hasani, Maytham (1 December 2021). بالصور.. ركلات الترجيح تحفظ لقب غرب آسيا لشباب العراق [In pictures... Penalty kicks save the West Asian title for Iraq's youth team]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- "DPR Korea v Lebanon" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 1 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- Mamrud, Roberto (2 May 2022). "Lebanon – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- بعثة شباب لبنان تغادر إلى كينشاسا فجر الإثنين [The Lebanon U20 delegation leaves for Kinshasa on Monday morning]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.