No games in Beirut?

Two days ago, the minister of youth and sports, Varte Ohanian, and Lebanese Football Association president, Hachem Haidar, did an inspection tour on Camille Chamoun Stadium and the sights were horrible.

At the end, Riad El Chaykha, general director of the stadium, has demanded a total of 50 million dollars to re-habilitate the stadium, 30 more than what he asked for in 2017. In the current economic situation, the goverment will most surely refuse to pay that much money on such project.

Therefore, Saida’s international stadium has emerged as a potential alternative. The cost of bringing the stadium up to standard won’t cost more than an estimated one million dollars.

In its history, Lebanon played 30 World Cup qualifiers games at home. Only five of them were played outside of Beirut, in Saida in particular.

Other reports have emerged lately that the qualifiers are going to be played in a centralized venue, something that Lebanon do not mind at all.