‘A War Zone’ – Libyan Fans Assault Benin Team After AFCON Qualifier
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Just four weeks after the Super Eagles were mistreated during their trip to Libya, the North African nation has once again shown a disregard for fair play, this time with Benin.
The incident occurred during Libya’s crucial 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin at the Tripoli International Stadium.
In the same round of qualifiers, Nigeria faced Rwanda while Libya battled Benin. With Nigeria already having secured their spot for the tournament, the fixture between Libya and Benin was a must-win for Libya.
With four points, Libya needed a victory and hoped for a Nigeria win over Rwanda to keep their AFCON dreams alive.
However, the match ended in a goalless draw, which left the Libyan team unable to qualify.
The situation mirrored the chaos that occurred last month when Libya hosted Nigeria for the first leg of their AFCON qualifier. After the Super Eagles’ arrival, Libyan authorities diverted their flight to a remote airport, where the team was stranded for over 18 hours.
This led to a boycott, and the match was later cancelled. As a result, CAF awarded Nigeria three points and three goals, while Libya was fined for their actions.
Fast forward to the recent match against Benin, the tension escalated after the goalless draw. As the Benin players and staff tried to board their bus, they were violently attacked by Libyan fans.
The assault was so severe that Benin’s coach, Gernot Rohr, sustained injuries and had to receive medical treatment in the team bus.
Benin’s captain, Steve Mounié, condemned the treatment, calling it “a war zone” and emphasizing the disrespect they faced.
“It wasn’t easy. It was really a war zone.,” Mounié said. “This Libyan team, this country and its supporters didn’t respect us at the start of the match. They whistled our national anthem, and we made it personal.
We wanted to come out of this match with qualification. We did it with difficulty. Benin is at the CAN 2025. We can be proud of what we have achieved with this group of young players.”
As of now, CAF has yet to release a statement regarding the violence, and it remains unclear whether Libya will face any significant sanctions for their actions.
The treatment of visiting teams in Libya continues to raise questions about the country’s approach to not only international football but the game in general.
