Sajjad Jassim was the most proactive of the 22 players on the pitch in what was a cagey start to the proceedings, the Iraqi midfielder tried his luck from range on two occasions but could not find the target.

Iraq thought they had found a break just before the half-hour mark when Ayman Hussein nodded the ball onto the path of Hassan Abdulkarim who cut onto his left foot and with only the goalkeeper to beat, he attempted to find the bottom corner but was denied by Mostafa Matar’s diving save.

The deadlock was finally broken six minutes before the break as Abdulkarim confidently advanced through the middle and fed Hussein who took his chance first-time, powering into the back of Matar’s net to put the Lions of Mesopotamia in the lead.

The visitors’ joy lasted just eight minutes and as they prepared to head into the dressing rooms, a long throw-in into the Iraqi box created chaos and after a series of failed attempts from both sides to take control, defender Maher Sabra finally pounced on the loose ball sweeping home the equaliser in added time of the first period.

Lebanon had a golden chance to win it with the last kick of the ball, but skipper Hassan Maatouk watched his low drive from the edge of the box saved by Fahad Talib.

The draw means Lebanon remain fourth and Iraq fifth with the two sides picking up a sixth and fifth point respectively, retaining slender hopes of third place that will vanish should the UAE defeat IR Iran in Tehran later in the day.