After hosting the grandest stage of the them all, the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar is set to have the spotlight once again as they host the continent's biggest football spectacle, the AFC Asian Cup 2023 from the 12th of January with hosts Qatar in action against Lebanon in the opening match.
The wait is now just a few hours, less than 24 hours, as the AFC Asian Cup 2023 kicks-off today at the iconic Lusail Stadium with the hosts Qatar football team taking on the Lebanon football team in the opening match on 12th of January, 2024, on Friday.
A little more than 12 months later after hosting the grandeur of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar is once again hosting a mega event in the form of the AFC Asian Cup 2023. China was eventually set to host the tournament, but due to COVID pandemic related restrictions, the hosting rights was awarded to Qatar.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar did not enjoy a great ride as the team finished bottom of their group that included the likes of Netherlands, Senegal and Ecuador. Qatar ended the World Cup with 3 defeats in 3 matches. But they come into the AFC Asian Cup 2023 as the defending champions having won the competition last time in 2019 beating Japan in the final.
As for their opponents, the Lebanon football team, they are making their second consecutive appearance in the continent's mega football event. They were part of the event in 2019 and faced a quite a dramatic exit from the tournament. Needing to beat North Korea by 4 goals deficit to progress to the next round, they conceded an early goal, but eventually fought back and won the match 4-1, which was not enough to make it past the group. The Cedars will be looking to do one better this time and make it past the group, Group A.
Qatar vs Lebanon football match time and venue
The opening match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be played on the 12th of January, on Friday at the iconic Lusail Stadium. The ball will be rolling at 9:30 P.M Indian Standard Time (IST).
Qatar vs Lebanon Head-to-Head
It is the Qatar football team who have the upper-hand over their opponent. In the last 5 matches played between both the sides, Qatar have won 4 times while 1 match ended in a draw.
Qatar vs Lebanon FIFA Ranking
Going into the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, Qatar football team FIFA Ranking is 58 while Lebanon football team FIFA Ranking is 107th in the world.
Qatar vs Lebanon match prediction
The opening match of the event is certain to be an exciting affair between both the sides. Both the teams have been playing pre-tournament friendlies where both the teams suffered defeat against Jordan and Saudi Arabia in their respective last friendly match. But, it will be the Qatar football team who will have the upper-hand over the Cedars, also looking at the fact that Qatar have dominated Lebanon in h2h. So our prediction for the match is Qatar to beat Lebanon 2-0 or more.
Prediction: Qatar 2-0 Lebanon
(Note: The result is just a prediction looking at various factors. Eventually the result could be different given which team play better football on the night).
Qatar vs Lebanon AFC Asian Cup 2023 match live streaming
For the football enthusiasts, you might not wanna miss the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 between Qatar and Lebanon. The match will be broadcast on Sports18 TV channel and will be live streaming on JioCinema app.
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