Lebanon women's national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lebanon

Nickname(s)	صبايا الأرز (The Lady Cedars)
Association	Lebanon Football Association (الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	Wael Gharzeddine
Captain	Nathalie Matar
Most caps	Nathalie Matar Syntia Salha (37)
Top scorer	Christy Maalouf (17)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	LBN
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	NR (7 December 2018)
Highest	102 (December 2013)
Lowest	145 (April – August 2021)
First international
Lebanon 0–12 Algeria  (Alexandria, Egypt; 19 April 2006)
Biggest win
Lebanon 12–1 Kuwait  (Amman, Jordan; 9 June 2013)
Biggest defeat
Greece 14–0 Lebanon  (Pegeia, Cyprus; 12 March 2015)
Arab Women's Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 2006)
Best result	Group stage (2006, 2021)
WAFF Women's Championship
Appearances	5 (first in 2007)
Best result	Runners-up (2022)
Medal record Women's football WAFF Women's Championship Silver 2022 Jordan Bronze 2007 Jordan Bronze 2019 Bahrain

The Lebanon women's national football team represents Lebanon in international women's football games. They are often called "the Lady Cedars". The team was started in 2005 by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA).

Even though they haven't made it to the FIFA Women's World Cup or the AFC Women's Asian Cup yet, they've done well in regional tournaments. They finished second in the 2022 WAFF Women's Championship. They also came in third place in the same championship in 2007 and 2019.

Lebanon played their first international match in 2006. They lost 12–0 to Algeria. Their biggest win ever was 12–1 against Kuwait in 2013. The team has been getting better over time. They even won a friendly tournament in 2023.

The Lady Cedars wear red home uniforms and white away uniforms. These colors match the Lebanese flag. Their FIFA ranking has changed over the years. Their best rank was 102nd in December 2013. Their lowest rank was 145th in 2021.

Team History

Women's football in Lebanon started a long time ago. In 1964, a teacher named Rose La Sorte brought the sport to the American University of Beirut (AUB). Later, in 1998, AUB formed its first official women's team. They played their first game in February 1999. Other schools also started teams, leading to the first girls' tournament in 2002.

Early Years (2005–2018)

The Lebanese Women's Football (LWF) committee was created in 2005. It later joined the Lebanese Football Association (LFA). The Lebanon women's national team was formed that same year. They were one of the first women's national teams in West Asia.

Their first official game was on April 19, 2006, at the 2006 Arab Women's Championship. They lost 12–0 to Algeria. They also lost to Morocco and were out of the tournament.

In 2007, Lebanon played in the WAFF Women's Championship. They lost to Jordan and Iran. But they won 7–0 against Syria. Iman Chaito scored three goals in that game. They finished in third place. In the 2011 championship, they also came in third in their group. They beat Syria 1–0.

In 2014, Lebanon tried to qualify for the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time. They lost to Jordan and Uzbekistan. But they had a huge 12–1 win against Kuwait. This is still their biggest win ever. They didn't qualify for the Asian Cup.

Lebanon was supposed to play in the 2018 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, they decided not to play. They were protesting the location of the tournament. Later that year, they played in the Olympic qualifiers. They lost to Iran and Hong Kong and were eliminated.

Recent Success (2019–Present)

Since 2019, Lebanon has been getting stronger in regional competitions. In the 2019 WAFF Women's Championship, led by coach Wael Gharzeddine, they finished third. They beat the UAE 2–0 and Palestine 3–0.

In August 2021, Lebanon played in the 2021 Arab Women's Cup. They got their first international draw, 0–0 against Tunisia. They also won 5–1 against Sudan. They didn't advance after losing to Egypt. Later in 2021, they won against the UAE and Guam in the Asian Cup qualifiers. But they lost to Myanmar and didn't qualify.

A big moment happened in the 2022 WAFF Women's Championship. Under coach Hagop Demirjian, Lebanon finished second for the first time. They won 3–0 against Palestine and 5–2 against Syria. They lost 2–1 to Jordan. Lili Iskandar was named the best player of the tournament.

In April 2023, Lebanon played in the 2024 Olympic qualifiers. They lost to Chinese Taipei but won 5–0 against Indonesia. Later that year, they won the friendly 2023 SAFF Tournament. They beat Laos, Bhutan, and Malaysia. They won the final against Bhutan 1–0 in extra time. Lili Iskandar scored the winning goal and was the top scorer with three goals.

In the 2024 WAFF Women's Championship in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon reached the semi-finals. They won 4–3 against one team, with Lili Iskandar scoring three goals. They also beat Saudi Arabia 3–2. They lost to Jordan 2–0. In the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 to Nepal.

In the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers, Lebanon played against Iran, Jordan, Singapore, and Bhutan. They lost to Jordan and Bhutan. But they had a great 3–1 win over Iran, who ended up qualifying. Christy Maalouf scored all three goals. They also won 1–0 against Singapore. However, Lebanon did not qualify for the Asian Cup.

Team Staff

Wael Gharzeddine has been Lebanon's head coach since 2024

The team has a dedicated staff to help the players.

Position	Name
Head coach	Wael Gharzeddine
Team manager	Rana Nakhle
Assistant coach	Joseph Mouawad
Goalkeeper coach	Ashraf Mahjoub
Fitness coach	Roger Hamoush
Physiotherapist	Mariam Moukadem
Equipment officer	Mohsen Ismail
Media officer	Maroun Mahfoud

Players

Here are the players who were called up for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification matches that happened between July 7 and 19, 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Clara Khalil	(2004-05-28) 28 May 2004 (age 21)	7	0	Jounieh
22	1GK	Sinal Breiche	(2003-03-03) 3 March 2003 (age 22)	15	0	BFA
23	1GK	Marcelle Skaiki	(2007-02-01) 1 February 2007 (age 18)	3	0	No Limits
2	2DF	Mira Hoteit	(2000-09-20) 20 September 2000 (age 24)	14	0	London Bees
3	2DF	Dima Al Kasti	(2001-12-13) 13 December 2001 (age 23)	32	5	No Limits
4	2DF	Tiana Jaber	(2000-05-09) 9 May 2000 (age 25)	10	0	Wellington Phoenix
15	2DF	Asiyah Zreika	(2006-04-07) 7 April 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Marconi Stallions
16	2DF	Karly Harfouche	(2004-08-03) 3 August 2004 (age 21)	8	0	Charlottesville Blues FC
18	2DF	Nour Noujaim	(2004-02-06) 6 February 2004 (age 21)	11	0	Coker Cobras
21	2DF	Ayana Rezkallah	(2008-04-21) 21 April 2008 (age 17)	11	0	EFP
6	3MF	Nathalie Matar (captain)	(1995-09-20) 20 September 1995 (age 29)	37	0	USPSO
11	3MF	Syntia Salha	(2003-01-12) 12 January 2003 (age 22)	37	8	Lakatamia [el]
12	3MF	Mya Mehanna	(2006-11-16) 16 November 2006 (age 18)	11	1	Bulls FC Academy
20	3MF	Zahwa Arabi	(2005-11-02) 2 November 2005 (age 19)	28	2	No Limits
7	4FW	Pilar Khoury	(1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 30)	14	5	Strasbourg
8	4FW	Anabelle Ghabach	(2005-10-11) 11 October 2005 (age 19)	10	0	Gladesville Ravens
9	4FW	Lili Iskandar	(2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 23)	35	16	Free agent
10	4FW	Christy Maalouf	(2005-12-20) 20 December 2005 (age 19)	29	17	VGA Saint-Maur [fr]
13	4FW	Leah Hachem	(2006-08-25) 25 August 2006 (age 18)	2	0	Saint-Priest
14	4FW	Lea El Hajj Ali	(2008-06-04) 4 June 2008 (age 17)	11	0	BFA
17	4FW	Maryam Lazkani	(2007-07-03) 3 July 2007 (age 18)	4	0	San Jose State Spartans
19	4FW	Sherin Hasno	(2007-03-25) 25 March 2007 (age 18)	5	0	HB Køge U19

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players were part of the national team in the last year but are not in the current squad.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Aya Kobeissi	(2006-05-18) 18 May 2006 (age 19)	0	0	ÓBerytus	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
GK	Maha Korjieh	(2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22)	0	0	ÓBerytus	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
GK	Nour Hammoudy	(2007-03-08) 8 March 2007 (age 18)	0	0	BFA	2025 Vianet Championship
GK	Lamitta El Dib	(2005-09-02) 2 September 2005 (age 19)	14	0	EFP	Training camp; July 2024
GK	Selena Malaeb	(2005-05-26) 26 May 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Akhaa Ahli Aley	Training camp; July 2024
DF	Waed Raed	(2006-11-09) 9 November 2006 (age 18)	27	1	ÓBerytus	v.  Jordan; 7 July 2025 PRE
DF	Tia Rita Daher	(2006-02-16) 16 February 2006 (age 19)	2	0	ÓBerytus	v.  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]; 1 June 2025
DF	Julie Atallah	(2005-07-28) 28 July 2005 (age 20)	14	0	FCPSL	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
DF	Farah El Tayar	(2003-12-10) 10 December 2003 (age 21)	9	1	FIU Panthers	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
DF	Zainab Abi Mosleh	(2006-08-03) 3 August 2006 (age 19)	2	0	TuWe	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
DF	Amina Karime	(2005-12-20) 20 December 2005 (age 19)	17	0	Jounieh	Training camp; July 2024
DF	Stephanie El Kazzi	(2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 (age 20)	11	0	EFP	Training camp; July 2024
DF	Haya Najjad	(2008-01-06) 6 January 2008 (age 17)	0	0	BFA	Training camp; July 2024
MF	Paula Karam	(2007-09-20) 20 September 2007 (age 17)	5	0	Jounieh	v.  Jordan; 7 July 2025 PRE
MF	Lama Abdine	(2006-09-09) 9 September 2006 (age 18)	9	0	BFA	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025
MF	Tatianna Kanaan	(2007-02-09) 9 February 2007 (age 18)	2	0	Salam Zgharta	2025 Vianet Championship
MF	Cecile Iskandar	(2007-03-12) 12 March 2007 (age 18)	6	1	EFP	Training camp; July 2024
FW	Serena Mansour	(2006-07-04) 4 July 2006 (age 19)	3	0	EFP	v.  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]; 1 June 2025
FW	Lea Douaihy	(2005-03-17) 17 March 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Salam Zgharta	v.  Comoros; 7 April 2025

Player Records

Here are some records for players on the Lebanon women's national football team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Lebanon.

Most Games Played

Nathalie Matar and Syntia Salha have played the most games for Lebanon, with 37 appearances each.

Top Goal Scorers

Christy Maalouf has scored 17 goals, making her Lebanon's top goal scorer of all time.

Tournament History

The Lebanon women's national football team has played in several important tournaments.

FIFA Women's World Cup

Lebanon has not yet qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup. They did not enter many early tournaments. For the 2015 and 2023 World Cups, they tried to qualify through the Asian Cup. They withdrew from the 2019 qualifiers.

Summer Olympics

Lebanon has not yet qualified for the Summer Olympics football tournament. They did not enter many early Olympic qualifiers. They played in the qualifiers for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics but did not make it to the main event.

AFC Women's Asian Cup

Lebanon has not yet qualified for the AFC Women's Asian Cup. They did not enter many early tournaments. They tried to qualify in 2014, 2022, and 2026. They withdrew from the 2018 qualifiers.

Arab Women's Cup

Lebanon has played in the Arab Women's Cup twice.

• In 2006, they were in the group stage and finished 7th out of 7 teams.
• In 2021, they were also in the group stage and finished 5th out of 7 teams.

WAFF Women's Championship

Lebanon has played in the WAFF Women's Championship five times.

• In 2007, they finished in third place.
• In 2011, they were in the group stage.
• In 2019, they finished in third place again.
• In 2022, they were runners-up (second place) for the first time.
• In 2024, they reached the semi-finals and finished 3rd out of 8 teams.

Other Tournaments

Lebanon has also played in other friendly tournaments:

Tournament	Result
2010 Arabia Cup	Group stage
2021 Armenia Friendly Tournament	Fourth place
2023 SAFF Friendly Tournament	Champions
2025 Vianet Championship	Third place

FIFA World Rankings

Lebanon first appeared in the FIFA Women's World Ranking in September 2011. They were ranked 124th. To be ranked, teams needed to have played games in the last 18 months. Because Lebanon sometimes didn't play for a while, they were not ranked in some years (2014, 2016, 2017, 2020).

Lebanon's best ranking was 102nd in December 2013. Their lowest ranking was 145th in 2021.

     Best ranking       Worst ranking  

See also

In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol del Líbano para niños

• List of women's national association football teams
• List of Lebanon women's national football team managers
• Lebanon women's national under-20 football team
• Lebanon women's national under-17 football team
• Lebanese Women's Football League
• Women's football in Lebanon