Bourj FC won 5-4 at penalties over Sporting Beirut and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Lebanese FA Cup

Thursday, 29 April 2021, 4 pm local time (1 pm UTC), Al Ahed Stadium, Beirut (Ouzai), Lebanon, first round (last 16) of the Lebanese FA Cup.

This year, the Lebanese FA Cup has a "short" format, involving only 16 teams: the 12 teams which participated in the Lebanese Premier League and the top 4 of the Lebanese Second Division. In the first round of the competition, Bourj FC faced Sporting Beirut, the recent winners of the Lebanese Second Division.

Bourj FC starting XI against Sporting Beirut. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Bourj FC used most of their usual starting players and controlled most of the game. However, they reached rarely the opposite goal, and the number of chances was quite low.

Their biggest opportunity came in the second half, when Khodor Hallak was fouled inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty for Bourj FC. Nevertheless, Hussein Al Outa missed the target (67'). Immediately after the penalty, Sporting Beirut also missed their greatest goal-scoring chance, the ball touching the post (68').

 Sporting Beirut (in blue) had their biggest chance in the 68th minute, but the ball hit the post. Source: elmaestrosport.com

In stoppage time, usual starter Abdel Karim Saleh substituted goalkeeper Afif Zoureik, in a move which proved to be decisive. The match ended 0-0 and there was no extra time, both teams prepared for penalties.

Bourj started the series, but Fadel Antar, the team goalscorer, missed the first penalty: it looked like everything went wrong for Bourj FC. However, Abdel Karim Saleh succeeded to block one of the penalties executed by the opponents. After five penalties, the score was 4-4. Abdel Karim Saleh saved the sixth penalty for Sporting, while Ahmad Al Khatib scored and brought joy to his team.

Ahmad Al Khatib (in yellow and black) scored the decisive penalty for Bourj FC. Source: elamestrosport.com

Sporting Beirut: Ibrahim Miqdad - Hamza Hammoud, Muhammad Hammoud, Muhammad Fawaz, Ahmed Mansour, Haytham Atwi (Muhammad Farkoua 80'), Kassem Haninu, Kassem Al Shum (Ali Hamder 80'), Ali Abbas, Hassan Zayoun (Muhammad Zayat 62'), Hassan Termus.

Bourj FC: Afif Zoureik (Abdel Karim Saleh 90'+2') - Hamza Abboud, Khodor Hallak, Ahmad Al Khatib, Walid Ismail - Mohammad El Faour, Eid Jaish (Ghassan Farran 73'), Ibrahim Abou Hamdan - Samih Damaj, Fadel Antar, Hussein Al Outa.

Referee: Muhammad Haddad.

In the quarter-finals, Bourj will face the winner of the game between Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley and Hikma (La Sagesse) Beirut, to be played tomorrow. All the matches in the quarter-finals are scheduled Tuesday, 4 May 2021, at 4 pm local time. Bourj FC will play again at Al Ahed Stadium in Ouzai area of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In the other matches of the Lebanese FA Cup, played so far:

Tadamon Sour - Al Ahed 0-3
Nejmeh - AC Tripoli 3-1
Al Islah - Shabab Al Ghazieh 1-2
Al Ahly Nabatieh - Ansar 1-6

The following matches will be played tomorrow, Friday, 30 April 2021:

Shabab Sahel - Shabab El Bourj
Salam Zgharta - Safa
Hikma (La Sagesse) - Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley

Matches are played usually on neutral grounds and without audience.