Lebanon beats Iraq 1-0 in friendly

A second half strike from Ahmad Zreik earned Lebanon a 1-0 win over Iraq in a friendly on Sunday as both sides prepared for World Cup qualifiers in the Asia Zone.

The first half at Rafic Hariri Stadium was a tame affair on a severely scarred pitch after heavy rainfall, but Lebanon's Mahmooud El Ali had the ball in the back of the net five minutes into the second half, only for him to be ruled offside.

Five minutes later, Matar's quick pass set El Ali free down the left hand side and he ran straight into the Iraq penalty area before squaring for Zreik to tap in from close range.

The third round of Asian qualifiers continue in a month's time with Iraq and Lebanon facing Singapore and the United Arab Emirates respectively.