World Cup 2022 qualifier halted by fan riots in stadium during Syria vs Lebanon

A World Cup qualifier between Lebanon and Syria was completed after a significant delay caused by a riot in the stands.

Both nations came into the contest in desperate need of a win to keep their slim hopes of World Cup qualification alive. Syria roared into a three-goal lead, courtesy of first-half goals from Alaa Aldeen Al Da, Mardi Mardikian and Mohammad Al Mamour.

However, the match was dramatically halted by referee Abdul Rahman Al-Jassem after fan violence caused the match to be stopped. But after a huge 20-minute delay which saw both teams and referee depart the pitch, the fixture was eventually completed with the score remaining 3-0 to Syria.

Supporters reportedly began rioting in the stands of the Saida Stadium when the contest had entered its final minutes. The commentator for the Abu Dhabi Sports Channel claimed the Lebanese supporters provoked the fracas by throwing bottles at the Syrian supporters.

"The biggest impact this has is on the Lebanese team," the commentator was heard saying when the trouble started. "There are other teams that dream of playing such a game on their own soil, like Syria."

Social media footage also appeared to show supporters hurling stones at each other outside of the stadium. This then prompted a firm involvement from Lebanese security officials who swiftly moved to break up the clashes.

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Initially, the referee halted the contest in the 70th minute, before asking supporters to depart the stadium so they could complete the contest without any riots. When the trouble began to creep back into the contest, the referee ordered both sets off players to leave the pitch.

A second delay took 15 minutes after the referee consulted with both teams, their managers and several security consultants in the stadium, as well as the match observer. However, the score-line did not change, meaning Syria went on to secure their first victory of their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

While the result has not altered Syria's standings in Group B, they have at least given themselves a chance of overtaking Lebanon in the table. Syria cannot make the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup competition, but they could overtake Lebanon if they win their final match of their group.

Syria and Lebanon are part of a group containing South Korea, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. South Korea wrapped up their place in the 2022 World Cup at the beginning of February with a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Syria, while Iran swiftly followed them into the tournament.

Meanwhile, Japan and Saudi Arabia also sealed their places in the competition in November. They were part of a very tight group also containing Australia, Oman, China, and Vietnam.

Two goals in the last five minutes from Kaoru Mitoma saw the Japanese record a shock 2-0 away victory over Australia in Sydney. Saudi Arabia also ensured qualification for their second consecutive World Cup after grinding out a 1-1 away draw against China. Australia's loss to Japan means they will likely have to navigate their way into the tournament via a play-off match against the United Arab Emirates.