Lebanon U17 Wins Historic West Asian Football Championship
The Lebanon under-17 men’s football team won the West Asian Football Federation Championship for the first time in Aqaba, defeating Yemen 4-3 on penalties following a scoreless draw, according to lorientlejour.com.
Victory in Aqaba
The tournament final took place in Aqaba, Jordan, where the young Lebanese squad secured the historic title. Goalkeeper Mahdi Makki saved two penalties during the decisive shootout after regulation and extra time ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Makki received the tournament’s best goalkeeper award for his performance. Lorientlejour.com reported that this victory marks the first time any Lebanese men’s youth selection has won the West Asian competition since its inception in the early 2000s.
Lebanon Reaches Final After Overcoming Jordan
Coached by Rami Ladqi, the under-17 team reached the final after overcoming Jordan 3-1 on penalties in the semi-final, which also concluded without goals after regular time. Lebanon opened their group stage campaign with a 4-0 win against Syria and a 1-0 victory over Palestine, before dropping a 2-1 match to Yemen. Finishing second in their group with six points, the team advanced to face the only opponent that had defeated them earlier in the tournament. Lorientlejour.com noted that this success follows two previous final appearances and runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2025.
Contasting Regional Accounts
Coverage of Lebanese youth football achievements across regional outlets highlights different age brackets and tournament phases. While lorientlejour.com focused on the under-17 men’s team capturing their maiden West Asian title against Yemen, icibeyrouth.com documented a separate campaign involving the under-17 squad in the West Asian federation’s 12th edition tournament. Icibeyrouth.com reported a hard-fought final where Adnan Madi scored in the 73rd minute against Saudi Arabia before an equalizer in the 90th minute led to a 5-3 penalty defeat for Lebanon. That same outlet detailed a roster featuring players such as Jason Finianos, Marc Abi Mansour, Hatem Safieddine, William Kiameh, Anthony Chahine, Issa Daher, Antoine Assaf, Karim Jomaa, and Youssef Badran.
Upcoming Asian Qualifiers
The youth selections now turn their focus toward broader continental competition. Icibeyrouth.com noted that upcoming under-17 Asian qualifiers begin on November 22, 2025, with Lebanon placed in Group D alongside Iran, India, Palestine, and Chinese Taipei. Meanwhile, lorientlejour.com highlighted that Lebanese women’s youth selections previously secured three West Asian titles, winning the under-15 and under-18 categories in 2019 and another under-18 title in 2022.
