JAKARTA (Indonesia) - Lebanon raised plenty of eyebrows with a run to the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 Final, led by tournament MVP Wael Arakji. Now the Cedars have their sights set on springing some surprises at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Roster

Arakji, the explosive guard, headlines Lebanon's roster as the country makes its first World Cup appearance since 2010.

If Arakji gets most of the attention, the strength of Lebanon under coach Jad El Hajj is the chemistry in the team that consists of talented, unselfish players. Four players appeared in at least 10 of the 12 games in the Asian Qualifiers, while four others played in at least eight games.

Lebanon will be looking for a big contribution from former NBA first-round pick Omari Spellman, who is taking up the naturalized place in their team. 

The Question

As impressive as Lebanon have been in recent times, they will be underdogs in Group H, which also has Canada, France and Latvia. Can they spring an upset or two?

Lebanon have a very good team.

Anything is possible with a star like Arakji and an impressive young coach like El Hajj. The basketball gods also seem to have been at work when putting Lebanon into their group of death. Is there any relevance to Lebanon's 2006 World Cup upset of France, 74-73, or their 2010 World Cup 81-71 upset of Canada?

The Hope

Lebanon have played some of the best basketball in their history over the last couple of years, so the hope will be that they can continue playing well and threaten upsets against France, Canada and Latvia. The make-ups of the teams are different, yet Lebanon can draw inspiration from victories over the French and Canadians at previous World Cups.

By building on their momentum from the Asia Cup and the Asian Qualifiers, and the confidence that winning has created, Lebanon can push all three countries to the end. If the games are close in the fourth quarter, and especially with Arakji and players like Ali Haidar, Sergio El Darwich, Hayk Gyokchian and Amir Saoud, the Cedars are dangerous.

Coach El Hajj will have his players believing that anything is possible

The Fear

None of Lebanon's players have played at a World Cup, a lack of big-tournament experience that could be detrimental.

Lebanon's relatively weak preparation schedule, with warmup games against Iran, Egypt, Mexico, and Cote d'Ivoire, isn't enough for the Lebanese to be ready for France and Canada, two of the best teams at the World Cup.

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The Poll

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For a deeper look on Lebanon's journey to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, click here.

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