Al Ahed - Bourj FC 3-0 (1-0)
Mohamad Al Marmour 45'+1', Hussein Dakik 74', Karim Darwich 90' (penalty).
Wednesday, 7 February 2024, 2:15 pm local time (12:15 pm UTC), Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon, 2nd round of the championship play-off, Lebanese Premier League.
Al Ahed starting line-up.
Bourj FC starting line-up.
The match between Al Ahed and Bourj FC was scheduled earlier, on Wednesday, 7 February, because Al Ahed has a difficult match against Al Kahraba (Iraq) in the knock-out stage of the AFC Cup next week. Although that match is supposed to be played at home, Al Ahed will have to play their home matches in Muscat (Oman) due to political and security reasons.
Al Ahed won rather easily the game against their local rivals Bourj FC, the final score being the same as in the regular season, 3-0. However, the difference was only made in the final minutes of the game.
The first half was rather disappointing, also from the point of view of the online viewers. MTV Sports missed a large bit of the first half in which, luckily, no goals were scored. From one could see, Al Ahed dominated the game, but were unable to break through the opposite defense. Bourj FC had a couple of actions, which led to nothing.
However, it was from one of the Bourj FC actions that led to the first Al Ahed goal. Houssem Louati took a free kick from the left, Al Ahed defense cleared, and Ali Al Hajj launched Lee Erwin. Was he in a regular position or in offside? The broadcast was so bad, that this is something that cannot be established: Lee Erwin and some of the Bourj defenders were not caught on the screen in the moment when Al Hajj passed. Lee Erwin then continued the counterattack, moving the ball from the left to Karim Darwich in the center, who assisted Mohamad Al Marmour on the right, who entered the box and scored with a shot to the far post: 1-0 (45'+1').
Mohamad Al Marmour shoots and scores for Al Ahed, despite Houssem Louati's desperate attempt at blocking.
Bourj FC players and staff protested for quite a while and even threatened to leave the field as a sign of protest. Later on, Al Ahed allegedly published a video which clearly shows that Lee Erwin was not offside in the moment of the pass. If the video is the one they uploaded on their Facebook page, I'm afraid I personally cannot see whether he is onside or offside. Discussions may continue eternally, the fact is that the referees approved the goal and the score at half-time was 1-0. VAR is needed, that's for sure, to help the referees (and the public) in such situations.
In the second half, Bourj FC tried to respond. They had more ball possession and attacked more dilligently, but seldom provided any danger to the opposite goal.
Houssem Louati (Bourj FC, in red) was one of the most active players of his team, but was often surrounded by the opponents.
Exactly when Bourj FC intensified the pressure, Al Ahed doubled their difference. After a corner from the right side, two of the players who came in after half time, Mohamad Haidar, with the cross, and Hussein Dakik, with a beautiful shot (without any previous control of the ball), contributed to the second goal of the game: 2-0 (74'). The shot went through the defenders and up into the roof of the net, nothing to do for the goalkeeper Ali Halal.
Hussein Dakik scores the second goal for Al Ahed with a beautiful left-footed shot.
Bourj FC still had some theoretical chances to come back in this game, but these were all shatttered by their own player, forward Tidiane Camara, who scored a goal with the hand and therefore received a second yellow card and was sent off (78').
In the end, it was obvious that Bourj FC would not be able to score a goal in ten men, as they had not been able to score when they were still eleven in the field. But Al Ahed took advantage of the situation, and scored again. Not without some help from Shadi Skaf this time, who made a clear foul in his own box (89'). Karim Darwich took the penalty: 3-0 (90').
Karim Darwich (left) scored the third Al Ahed goal from the penalty spot.
Al Ahed: Mostafa Matar - Hussein Zein, Khalil Khamis, George Felix Melki, Ali Hadid (Hussein Dakik 57') - Karim Abou Zeid (Hassan Srour 46'), Walid Shour, Mohamad Al Marmour (Mohamad Haidar 57'), Ali Al Hajj - Lee Erwin, Karim Darwich. Manager: Raafat Mohammad.
Bourj FC: Ali Halal - Mohamad El Dor (Mohamad Zein Tahan 75'), Ahmad Al Saleh, Shadi Skaf, Mohamad Al Hayek - Mohamad El Husseini (Ali Chaito 68'), Prosper Donkor - Ali Markabawi (Mohamad Saleh 68'), Houssem Louati (Abou Baker Al Mel 85'), Ali Kassas (Hilal El Helwe 75') - Tidiane Camara. Manager: Hussein Tahan.
Referee: Ali Shams.
Red card: Tidiane Camara (78') - for a second yellow card.
The match was broadcasted by MTV Sports (MTV Lebanon) on their usual channels, including YouTube and Facebook. Unfortunately, only a part of the first half is included (basically from the 4th to the 21st minute, and then the last minutes), while the second half is full, but with interruptions. On Facebook, the available videos for the first half are slightly different (larger) than on YouTube, but there are plenty of interruptions, as well. Links on YouTube: First half (first part) First half (last minutes) Second half. Links on Facebook: First half (first part) First half (last minutes) Second half.
Al Ahed are now alone in the top position, because Nejmeh surprisingly lost to Safa, while Bourj dropped into fifth place. The next round will be played after two weeks, due to continental matches involving Lebanese teams. Bourj FC will face Ansar, while Al Ahed will play against Safa.
Full results, table, and fixtures:
Round 2 (7-10 February 2024)
Al Ahed – Bourj 3-0
Ansar – Racing 4-1
Safa – Nejmeh 1-0
Table
|
1 |
Al Ahed |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
35-7 |
18 |
|
|
2 |
Nejmeh |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
25-12 |
15 |
|
|
3 |
Safa |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
24-17 |
15 |
(+) |
|
4 |
Ansar |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
25-15 |
14 |
|
|
5 |
Bourj |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
17-14 |
12 |
(+) |
|
6 |
Racing |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
20-24 |
8 |
(+) |
(+) Points have been rounded up.
Round 3 (23-25 February 2024)
Nejmeh – Racing
Ansar – Bourj
Safa – Al Ahed
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