Lebanon survives late scare to beat Qatar 75–74

Lebanon started its 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign with a narrow but valuable victory, defeating hosts Qatar 75–74 on Thursday in Lusail. 

The win marks a successful debut for head coach Ahmad Farran, who was leading the national team in an official game for the first time.

According to figures published by FIBA, naturalized American forward Dedric Lawson led the Lebanese scoring effort with 16 points, helping his team hold off a late Qatari surge.

Lebanon came out strong, building a 12 point lead in the first quarter (9–21). Qatar reduced the gap in the second period (17–21), but neither team managed to take full control afterward.

The third quarter ended in a stalemate (17–17), setting up a tense final stretch in which the Lebanese side once again flirted with danger. Qatar outscored Lebanon 31–25 in the last quarter but fell just short of overturning the deficit.

Saudi Arabia faced India and dominated with a convincing 75–51 victory. 

Each team in this qualifying group will play home and away fixtures, meaning every matchup will be repeated later in the campaign.

Lebanon’s narrow win gives the Cedars a positive start as they look to secure a place in the 2027 World Cup.