Amir Saoud wasn’t expected to play in the World Cup, but when he did, he became a hero.
With Wael Arakji sitting out their classification match against Ivory Coast, Saoud took up the mantle and delivered his best performance in the FIBA World Cup 2023 at the Indonesia Arena. This helped Lebanon secure their first win.
The 32-year-old guard caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down six three-pointers on his way to a 29-point performance.
Lebanon also received a significant boost from naturalized forward Omar Spellman, who erupted for 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He also contributed six rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and a steal. This marked a strong comeback for Spellman after his 10-point performance and 37.5% shooting in their narrow 85-79 loss to France the previous Tuesday.
Head coach Jad El Hajj, the first Lebanese coach to secure a victory in the World Cup, revealed that Saoud’s inclusion in the World Cup team was unexpected due to the severity of his injury.
“He was almost 90-percent ruled out before the World Cup. A day before the tournament began, he underwent an MRI, and it turned out he could join us,” he said.
Saoud attributed his success to his coach, the management, and the Lebanese Basketball Federation, all of whom continued to believe in his potential despite his injury that led to this breakthrough performance.
“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in the World Cup. I was dealing with an injury, and they had faith that I could contribute,” he said.
“Being named the MVP of the game means a lot to me because I had doubts, and Coach (Hajj) knows that. I was uncertain about participating and playing due to my injury, as well as the substantial gap between us and the elite teams.”
The victory marked Lebanon’s first win since the FIBA World Cup 2010, and Lebanese fans are jubilantly celebrating the Cedars’ triumph over Ivory Coast.
“I know that in Lebanon, everyone is ecstatic. I checked my phone, but I couldn’t keep up. The messages were simply overwhelming,” Saoud said.
As a player who faced tough mental battles against injury and doubt, while competing as underdogs against World Cup powerhouses, Saoud has this advice for all Lebanese fans:
“You have to take the chance and try. If you don’t try, opportunities won’t arise. That’s what I did. I trusted the Coach and everyone else.”
