Players and staff members of Lebanon's Al Mabarrah club celebrate with the trophy after winning the Lebanon Cup at the Sports City Stadium in Beirut on July 3, 2008 (AFP)

BEIRUT: A brace from Tareq Al Ali helped Al Mabarrah beat Safa 2-1 and win the Lebanon Cup crown for the first time on Thursday.

Tareq drew the first blood for Al Mabarrah in the sixth minute and doubled the advantage in the 63rd minute.

Ali Al Saadi reduced the deficit for Samir Saad’s side ten minutes from time but they failed to find an equaliser.

Safa, who had won this title twice in 1964 and 1986, will face Malaysia’s Perak in the first leg of their AFC Cup quarter-finals away on September 16.