AFCON

LIBYA FIRST HOME GAME IN SEVEN YEARS ENDS IN DEFEAT AS TUNISIA MAINTAIN UNBEATEN RUN

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2021

Libya’s first match at home in close to seven years ended in defeat as they lost 5-2 to Tunisia at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium to see their hopes of fighting for qualification to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) come to an end.

The Libyans went ahead through Muad Ellafi, but the Tunisians, who had already qualified for Cameroon heading into the penultimate round of group matches, responded through Yassine Meriah

Substitute Seifeddine Jaziri would score a double in the second half with Mohamed Drager and Anis Slimane scoring one a piece for the Carthage Eagles.

The Libyans had a good start to the match and went ahead after 21 minutes when Ellafi rose highest inside the box to bounce a header off Mohamed Aleyat’s cross.

They would have made it 2-0 in the 34th minute but Tunisia defender Meriah cleared off the line after keeper Farouk Ben Mustapha had seen Hamdou Elhouni’s shot slip through his fingers.

On the other end, Meriah became a hero once again in the space of four minutes when he drew his side level after controlling Drager’s cross from the left and volleying it over the advancing keeper.

Libya looked to crumble in the second half and three minutes in, they were 2-1 down when Jaziri headed home from inside the box barely two minutes after coming on.

In the 50th minute, they were 3-1 up when Drager slid the ball through the keeper’s legs after a quick counter which saw Saif Edine Khaoui set him up.

The Libyans responded four minutes later when Ellafi scored his second with a calm lob over the keeper after controlling a cross from the left on his chest.

The home side smelt a comeback and hoped to get themselves back into the game. Motassem Masoud had a header saved by Ben Mustapha while Muatez Husayn also saw his shot from distance turned behind by the keeper.

With those misses, they were punished with Slimane’s well taken shot from distance making it four before Jaziri completed his brace in added time.

AFCON

Libya sacks coach ahead of AFCON qualifying back-to-back matches with Nigeria

Published

4 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Milutin Sredojević

The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.

This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.

Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.

His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.

Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.

The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.

According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.

He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.

According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.

AFCON

CAF president blasts Ghana, others over stadium ban

Published

4 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,

After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.

Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.

Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.

“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.

He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”

Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.

“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.

AFCON

Present and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.

Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.

Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.

Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations