Despite being part of the squad that participated in the previous edition in the UAE, Matar’s debut only came a few months after the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019™, starting between the sticks in a 2019 WAFF Championships encounter against Yemen. Since then, he has not looked back, establishing himself as the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the Cedars.
So good were Matar’s performances for his previous club Salam Zgharta and the national team that 2019 AFC Cup™ winners Al Ahed made him the most expensive domestic transfer in Lebanese football at the time, as he joined the Beirut club in 2020 to start a new chapter in his career.The upcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar will be a special occasion for Matar who enjoyed some of his best moments in a Lebanon shirt in Qatari stadiums back in 2021 when the Cedars participated in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021.
Despite a group stage exit for Lebanon, Matar earned the plaudits from opponents and pundits alike, with Egypt goalkeeper Mohammed El Shenawy singing his praise as the Egyptians only managed a 1-0 win over Lebanon thanks to a goal from the spot to break a heroic display by Matar.
“What I saw from Lebanese fans in Qatar and their level of support at the stadiums is something that will stay with me forever,” said Matar.
“I was delighted with everything I read on social media too. That only serves to motivate me to work harder and develop my game more and more. In Lebanon, we are struggling under difficult circumstances, but it makes us more determined to show everyone what it means to wear the Cedars badge.”
Just as he did at the national team, Matar was able to displace long-serving Mehdi Khalil as Al Ahed’s number one goalkeeper, with the veteran making a loan move to Jordan’s Al Faisaly, while Matar led Al Ahed to the Lebanese league and cup titles over the past two seasons.
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- لژیونر ایرانی در بوندسلیگا از ورزش خداحافظی میکند؟ – خبرگزاری ورزش ایران_دلچسب
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- تشکیل ۲ خودروساز مجددا به بیشتر از ۴ هزار دستگاه در روز رسید_دلچسب
Next up for Matar will be an attempt to improve on Lebanon’s two previous AFC Asian Cup outings, when they finished fourth in their group on home soil in 2000 with two points, then third in the UAE with three points. If the goalkeeper can lead his nation to a round-of-16 place, he would write his name into the nation’s history books as part of a very special generation.
منبع
