Al Ittihad Aleppo edged Club Central Jounieh 94-93 in a thriller at the Arab Nations Cup on 14 October 2026, surviving a frantic final possession to claim a one-point victory. The game swung repeatedly across all four quarters and was not settled until the closing seconds, when a missed Jounieh attempt from mid-range left the hosts celebrating a hard-earned win.

Match Overview

This was everything a continental clash should be: two well-drilled sides trading runs, trading leads and trading big shots for 40 minutes. Al Ittihad Aleppo opened with energy from the home crowd behind them, only for Club Central Jounieh to respond with a sharper second quarter built on perimeter shooting and quick ball movement. The third quarter belonged to the visitors as well, and Aleppo entered the final period needing a response.

They found one. A 26-point fourth quarter, the highest-scoring period of the night for either team, turned a narrow deficit into the narrowest of victories. The final scoreline of 94-93 tells the story better than any statistic: this was a game decided by a single made free throw, a single defensive stop and a single missed look at the buzzer.

Scoring by Quarter

• First quarter: Al Ittihad Aleppo 24-22 Club Central Jounieh
• Second quarter: Al Ittihad Aleppo 21-25 Club Central Jounieh
• Third quarter: Al Ittihad Aleppo 23-24 Club Central Jounieh
• Fourth quarter: Al Ittihad Aleppo 26-22 Club Central Jounieh
• Final score: Al Ittihad Aleppo 94-93 Club Central Jounieh

Key Moments

Club Central Jounieh led by four with under six minutes remaining, and at that stage the game looked to be slipping away from the hosts. The turnaround began with a defensive sequence rather than an offensive one: Aleppo forced a shot-clock violation, then converted at the other end through a drive-and-kick three-pointer that cut the lead to one.

From there the teams exchanged blows almost basket for basket. A Jounieh floater restored a two-point cushion, Aleppo answered with an and-one, and the lead changed hands four times in the final three minutes. The decisive play came in the last 20 seconds, when Aleppo drew a foul on a baseline drive and made one of two free throws to go up 94-93. Jounieh's last possession produced a contested mid-range jumper that rimmed out, and the buzzer sounded on the rebound.

Tactical Story of the Game

Aleppo's path to victory ran through the paint. Their big men established deep position early and forced Jounieh into help rotations, which in turn opened up corner threes in the second half. The hosts also changed their pick-and-roll coverage in the fourth quarter, switching more aggressively on the perimeter and daring Jounieh's big men to beat them inside — a gamble that paid off as the visitors' shooting cooled at exactly the wrong moment.

Club Central Jounieh will feel they let this one slip. Their ball movement in the middle two quarters was excellent, generating open catch-and-shoot looks and a string of second-chance points on the offensive glass. But in the fourth they settled for early three-point attempts, and the resulting long rebounds fueled the Aleppo transition game that ultimately produced the winning points.

Standout Performers

• Al Ittihad Aleppo guards: Handled late-game pressure with composure, controlled the tempo in the fourth quarter and delivered the decisive free throw.
• Al Ittihad Aleppo forwards: Dominated the paint during the opening and closing periods, drawing fouls and finishing through contact.
• Club Central Jounieh backcourt: The engine of the visitors' best stretch, creating open looks and knocking down difficult shots off the dribble.
• Club Central Jounieh centres: Controlled the offensive glass for long stretches and kept the team in front through the third quarter.

Standings and Tournament Impact

In a competition as tightly contested as the Arab Nations Cup, a one-point result carries consequences well beyond the night itself. Al Ittihad Aleppo gain valuable momentum and, potentially, a crucial head-to-head advantage should tiebreakers be needed later in the campaign. Winning a game of this intensity also builds the kind of late-game trust that coaches cannot manufacture in training.

For Club Central Jounieh, the margin between victory and defeat was a single possession. The encouraging takeaway is that they matched a strong opponent on the road for 40 minutes; the lesson is that in tournament basketball, the final three minutes demand the same discipline as the first three. Rebounding their next fixture and protecting late leads will be the priority.

What's Next

Al Ittihad