BEIRUT: The captain of Lebanon’s national football team, Hassan Maatouk, is set to star in a new series of documentaries, co-produced by FIFA, about some of the biggest names in the game.
As its name suggests, “Six Captains” tells the stories of a sextet of players — each from a different continent — who at the time of filming, during qualification for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, were captains of their national sides.
Maatouk, who plays his league games for Al-Ansar FC in Beirut, was selected to represent Asia by the sport’s international governing body and British production company Fulwell 73, his club said.
In a statement released on Instagram, Al-Ansar said it was “a brilliant choice” to have their player feature in the film, alongside such greats as Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, who captains the Croatian national side.
Each of the six episodes, which will be released by Netflix and also shown on FIFA’s own platform, will provide football fans with a rare insight into the players’ private and professional lives.
All of the footage, which includes the players interacting with teammates at the national and club level, was shot over the course of a year, Al-Ansar said.
Arab News was unable to reach Maatouk for a comment on Friday, but Lebanese football fan Toufic Al-Turk said he was delighted to see his national team captain featured in the show.
“Being chosen by FIFA among other world class players, is an honor for Lebanese football in general and Maatouk in particular,” he said.
“He is a good and respectable player on and off the pitch.”
Sports writer Ali Ahmad agreed, saying that being chosen for such an important production was “one of the best accolades a footballer could ever receive.”
“Maatouk is well known as a midfielder in Asia. For him to be profiled along five international footballers in a movie about the World Cup is something so special,” he said.
Also featured in the series are former Gabon captain Pierre Emeric Aubameyang, Brazil’s Thiago Silva, Brian Kaltak of Vanuatu and Andre Blake of Jamaica.
Lebanon’s captain Hassan Maatouk to star in Netflix football documentary
https://arab.news/gcq2q
Lebanon’s captain Hassan Maatouk to star in Netflix football documentary
- Midfielder will appear in ‘Six Captains’ alongside soccer greats like Luka Modric, Thiago Silva
- Series will provide rare insight into players’ private, professional lives
PSG rally from early deficit to beat Monaco 3-2 away in Champions League playoff
- PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16
MONACO: Champions League holders Paris St. Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away in the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie on Tuesday.
Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.
The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals plus set up one for Achraf Hakimi.
Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline VAR screen.
PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16.
However, the European champions were in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when their fullback Nuno Mendes had a stray cross-field pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.
Monaco looked to be in the driving seat as Balogun netted a second goal after Maghnes Akliouche’s cleverly weighted pass allowed the American striker to outsprint PSG captain Marquinhos and score.
PSG WASTE PENALTY OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL WIN
Their fortunes were still looking good despite a defensive slip by Wout Faes, which led to the defender pulling back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and giving away a 22nd-minute penalty, but Vitinha’s effort was saved by Philipp Kohn.
But the tie swung as Doue came on for Dembele and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute with a left-footed effort after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. The goal was confirmed after a VAR check denied Monaco’s claims for a foul on defender Vanderson in the buildup.
Doue’s rifling shot in the 41st minute was parried away by Kohn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the break.
Golovin’s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visitors then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Doue – another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
“I didn’t feel I had to show something starting on the bench, I tried to play as usual. Tonight it paid off. I was able to score, to help the team. That’s my job,” Doue said.
“The coach makes his choices, he thinks about putting the best players in the team. Tonight he fielded this starting eleven, which is very good. Whether it’s a defeat or a victory, it’s always a team effort.”
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery missed a couple of good chances and Hakimi came close to a late fourth goal when his 86th-minute angled effort went close across the face of the goal.
“Disappointment is the overriding feeling,” said Monaco captain Denis Zakaria. “We went into this match with the aim of winning, but we didn’t manage to do it today. We still have our chances. We’re going to Paris and trying to win there.”
