1940 Mandatory Palestine v Lebanon football

match
The 1940 association football match between the national teams of Mandatory
Palestine and Lebanon was the latter's first official international match, and the
Mandatory Palestine v Lebanon
former's last before they became the Israel national team after 1948. The match
took place on 27 April 1940 at the Maccabiah Stadium in Tel Aviv. Officiated by
John Blackwell of the British Army, the game was watched by 10,000 spectators
and ended in a 5–1 victory for the home side.

Mandatory Palestine scored in the second minute of the game, doubling their lead
10 minutes later with a penalty kick. Two more goals by the home side meant the
first half ended 4–0. Mandatory Palestine's forced substitution at half-time due to
injury hampered their control of the game and in the fifth minute of the second
half, Lebanese forward Camille Cordahi scored to become Lebanon's first official
international goalscorer. Werner Kaspi scored his second goal of the game in the The Maccabiah Stadium (pictured in 1935)
60th minute, with the match ending 5–1. held the match
Event International friendly
Lebanon's next official games were all friendlies against Syria, one in 1942 and
two in 1947. In 1948 the Mandatory Palestine national team formally became the Mandatory Palestine Lebanon
Israel national team, with the establishment of the State of Israel. They played
their next official game in a friendly against Cyprus in 1949. Out of Lebanon's 11
players, six went on to play at least one more international game. Shalom
Shalomzon was the only Mandatory Palestine player to make another 5 1
international appearance. Date 27 April 1940
Venue Maccabiah Stadium, Tel Aviv
Referee John Blackwell (England)
Contents
Attendance 10,000
Background
Match
Summary
Details
Post-match
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

Background
During the 1930s, Lebanon was a regular destination for friendly tours by football clubs
in Mandatory Palestine.[1] Teams such as Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Petah Tikva, and
Maccabi Haifa regularly played teams from Beirut, Tyre, and Sidon.[1] At the end of
1939, Lebanese Football Association (LFA) chairman Jamil Sawaya visited family in
Jerusalem and Jaffa.[2] Sawaya had friendly relations with several presidents of
Palestinian football clubs, especially with the president of the Palestine Football
Association (PFA).[2] During his visit to Jerusalem, Sawaya met with the PFA president
where they arranged a friendly match between the national teams of Lebanon and
Mandatory Palestine in Tel Aviv.[2]
A ticket for the Mandatory Palestine
Plans were announced in late March 1940 for a four-team football tournament with the v Lebanon match
national teams of Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon, and teams from the British Army
in Palestine and the French Army in Lebanon.[3] However, with the two armies put on
alert in mid-April in anticipation of the Battle of France, the tournament was called off and only the match between
Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon went ahead.[4]