Libya national football team
Encyclopedia
The Libya national football team is the national association football team of Libya
and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation
. The team has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup
. They have qualified for three Africa Cup of Nations, one in 1982 where they finished runners-up and also hosted the tournament. The second was in 2006, but they failed to progress from their group and the third was in 2011, which was the first time that they qualified without hosting the tournament. They also finished runners-up in the 1964 Arab Nations Cup
.
The Libya national team has been a member of CAF
since 1965, and has been a member of the sub-confederation UNAF
since its official formation in 2005. As of October 2011, Libya are currently ranked 62 in the official FIFA World Rankings
, just short of their highest ever ranking. Their lowest ever ranking was 187th in July 1997.
5–2 in the first Pan Arab Games
in 1953. The first manager ever to manage the Libyan national team was Masoud Zantouny, and the first foreign manager was Englishman James Bingham, who took charge of the Libyan national team for the 1961 Pan Arab Games
. The first player ever to score for the Libyan national team in an official international was Mukhtar Ghonaay.
The first penalty ever scored by a member of the national team was in the 1953 Pan Arab Games
group stage; in the match against Egypt, Ali Zantouny scored in the 10–2 defeat. The national team's first participation in the Arab Cup was in 1964
, the second edition of the competition, held in Kuwait.
The first ever player to score for the Libyan national team in a non-official international was Mustapha Makki in a warm-up friendly played prior to the 1953 Pan Arab Games
tournament, played against Palestine in Alexandria in 1952. The national team's first attempt to qualify for an Olympic football tournament was in 1967, where they played their first qualification match against Niger
in an attempt to qualify for the 1968 Olympic football tournament
in Mexico City.
qualifiers in 1970
. Their early attempts failed, but during the 1980s the national side strengthened. The country's geopolitical
position, however, affected the football team, who had to withdraw from qualifying for the 1982
and 1990
World Cups.
Libya came closest to qualifying for the world cup in 1986. They came to within a game of reaching the finals in Mexico. After winning their match against Sudan
in their first game, the Libyans beat Ghana
in the next round before taking on Morocco
for a place at the finals. Morocco won the first game 3–0 and went through, even though Libya won the return leg 1–0.
After not entering the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup competition, Libya came back in the qualifying competition for Korea/Japan. The Libyans advanced to the second round at the expense of Mali
, who were beaten 4–3 on aggregate.
In the group stage, Libya managed only two draws in eight games, however. The qualifying tournament increased the profile of Libya's captain Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi, son of national leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
, and he received a contract with former Serie A
Italian club Perugia shortly afterwards.
In the qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, a 9–0 two-legged victory against São Tome and Principe
put the Libyans through to the group stage. However, during these two games Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi was banned when he failed a drug test
.
A difficult group followed containing Egypt, Cameroon
and Côte d'Ivoire
, the eventual group winners and qualifiers for the World Cup. However, The knights were able to secure good results against these sides, as they beat Egypt 2–1 in Tripoli, and held Cameroon
and Côte d'Ivoire
to 0–0 draws, helping them to a 4th place finish and a place at the 2006 African Cup of Nations
finals in Egypt
.
. Libya qualified automatically as hosts and were put in agroup alongside Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia
. The opening match of the tournament saw the hosts take on Ghana
in Tripoli
in a 2–2 draw. A 2–0 win over Tunisia and a goalless draw against Cameroon saw Libya topping the group.
In the semi-finals, Libya came from behind to beat Zambia
2–1 and set up another match with Ghana, this time in the final on March 19. Ghana scored first in the 35th minute, but Libya equalised in the 70th. This was followed by a tense period of extra time in which no goals were scored. In a long penalty shootout, Ghana came out triumphant 7–6.
finals in Egypt
. They qualified for the competition after a goalless draw with Sudan
in their ninth qualifying match.
Libya were drawn in Group A with Egypt (the hosts and eventual winners), 2006 World Cup-qualifiers
Côte d'Ivoire and Morocco
. Libya lost 3–0 to Egypt in Cairo, then lost 2–1 to the Ivory Coast. A goalless draw against Morocco
saw Libya finish bottom of the group.
became the coach of the national team in 2006. He failed to lead the team to the 2008 African Nations Cup, despite being drawn in what was seen as an easy group along with DR Congo, Namibia
and Ethiopia
; away defeats in Adis Ababa and Windhoek
prevented qualification.
The next challenge for the Libyans was the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. They were drawn in Group 5 along with Gabon
, Lesotho
and Ghana
: Libya were eliminated on goal difference after losing their final match against Gabon.
Libya had a chance to come back from World Cup misfortune during the qualifiers for the 2009 African Championship of Nations
. They overcame Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco to go through to the tournament, but Libya finished bottom of their group after losing to Congo DR and drawing with Ghana and Zimbabwe. Benzarti was sacked, and Serbian
Branko Smiljanić
was appointed on December 13. In July 2010, Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta was appointed the head coach of the Libyan team, and signed a four year contract ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil..
The match, part of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, resulted in a 1–0 victory over Mozambique
. The historic goal was scored by Rabee'a al Laafi. Like Libya's previous home match, a 3–0 defeat of Comoros
in qualifying, played in Stade 26 mars
in Bamako, Mali, a relocation was necessary due to the on-going 2011 Libyan civil war
, and so the Petro Sport Stadium
in Cairo, Egypt became the venue. The match was played behind closed doors
for security reasons.
Prior to the team's final game in the qualification campaign, against Zambia
, coach Marcos Paquetá claimed that the team was now "not only playing for football success but for a new government and a new country". The match was played on October 8 2011, and resulted in a 0–0 draw which was good enough for both teams to qualify. Paquetá and his team danced and celebrated afterwards.
In November 2011 the team travelled to the United Arab Emirates
to play a friendly match against Belarus organized by FIFA
and broadcast Dubai Sports. The team members, along with the Libyan national Chess
team, also attended an event at the Libyan Consulate in Dubai organized to honour their contribution to their country in the field of sports.
footballing nations, Algeria
, Morocco
and, mainly, Egypt. Matches between Libya and any one of these opponents are highly charged encounters, although the rivalry is not considered intense due to the gulf in quality between the sides. Libya defeated Egypt 2–1 in a World Cup qualifier on October 8, 2004, however they have never managed to defeat the Pharaohs on their own turf. The rivalry was rekindled at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
, where the teams drew 0–0; Egypt eventually claimed the gold medal on goal difference from the Libyans.
Libya's last clash with Morocco was at the 2006 African Nations Cup, where it finished goalless (However, Libya also recently contested a fiery two-legged play-off tie for the 2009 African Championship of Nations
, which Libya won 4–3 on aggregate). The height of the rivalry was in the 1980s, where a strong Libya side had its World Cup '86 dreams crushed by a resurgent Morocco side. The Moroccans won the play-off 3–1 on aggregate, and progressed to the knockout stage, where they were defeated by West Germany.
Libya is the only North African country never to qualify for a World Cup.
(2012 CAN Qualifying), October 8, 2011:
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation
Libyan Football Federation
The Libyan Football Federation is the governing body of football in Libya. It was founded in 1962, affiliated to FIFA in 1963 and to CAF in 1965...
. The team has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. They have qualified for three Africa Cup of Nations, one in 1982 where they finished runners-up and also hosted the tournament. The second was in 2006, but they failed to progress from their group and the third was in 2011, which was the first time that they qualified without hosting the tournament. They also finished runners-up in the 1964 Arab Nations Cup
1964 Arab Nations Cup
The 1964 Arab Nations Cup is the 2nd edition of the Arab Nations Cup hosted by Kuwait. In Iraq's first appearance, they won the title for the 1st time.- Group :---------------------External links:*...
.
The Libya national team has been a member of CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
since 1965, and has been a member of the sub-confederation UNAF
Union of North African Football Federations
The Union of North African Football Federations is an association football organising body. It was launched in 2005 by the North African members of the Confederation of African Football , Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia...
since its official formation in 2005. As of October 2011, Libya are currently ranked 62 in the official FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
, just short of their highest ever ranking. Their lowest ever ranking was 187th in July 1997.
Early History
Libya's national team was first initiated in 1918, but did not play an official international until August 3, 1953, when they defeated PalestinePalestine national football team
The Palestine national football team is the national team of the Palestinian Football Association, representing the Palestinian National Authority.The Palestine Football Federation was founded in 1952...
5–2 in the first Pan Arab Games
Pan Arab Games
The Arab Games are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab World. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Games took place in 1953 in Alexandria, Egypt. Intended to be held every four years since, political turmoil as well as financial...
in 1953. The first manager ever to manage the Libyan national team was Masoud Zantouny, and the first foreign manager was Englishman James Bingham, who took charge of the Libyan national team for the 1961 Pan Arab Games
1961 Pan Arab Games
The 3rd Pan Arab Games were held in Casablanca, Morocco between August 24 and September 9, 1961. 1127 athletes from 9 countries participated in events in 11 sports.- Medals won by country :...
. The first player ever to score for the Libyan national team in an official international was Mukhtar Ghonaay.
The first penalty ever scored by a member of the national team was in the 1953 Pan Arab Games
1953 Pan Arab Games
The 1st Pan Arab Games were held in Alexandria, Egypt between 26 July and 10 August 1953. A total number of 650 athletes from 8 countries participated in events in 10 sports.- Medals won by country :-Group A:---------Group B:...
group stage; in the match against Egypt, Ali Zantouny scored in the 10–2 defeat. The national team's first participation in the Arab Cup was in 1964
1964 Arab Nations Cup
The 1964 Arab Nations Cup is the 2nd edition of the Arab Nations Cup hosted by Kuwait. In Iraq's first appearance, they won the title for the 1st time.- Group :---------------------External links:*...
, the second edition of the competition, held in Kuwait.
The first ever player to score for the Libyan national team in a non-official international was Mustapha Makki in a warm-up friendly played prior to the 1953 Pan Arab Games
1953 Pan Arab Games
The 1st Pan Arab Games were held in Alexandria, Egypt between 26 July and 10 August 1953. A total number of 650 athletes from 8 countries participated in events in 10 sports.- Medals won by country :-Group A:---------Group B:...
tournament, played against Palestine in Alexandria in 1952. The national team's first attempt to qualify for an Olympic football tournament was in 1967, where they played their first qualification match against Niger
Niger national football team
The Niger national football team, nicknamed the Menas, is overseen by the Fédération Nigerienne de Football and a member of CAF. Niger plays in the colors of the Flag of Niger, white, green, and orange...
in an attempt to qualify for the 1968 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Group A:-------------------------Group B:-------------------------Group C:Ghana replaced Morocco, who refused to play Israel.----...
in Mexico City.
World Cups
Libya first entered the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifiers in 1970
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. Their early attempts failed, but during the 1980s the national side strengthened. The country's geopolitical
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
position, however, affected the football team, who had to withdraw from qualifying for the 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
and 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
World Cups.
Libya came closest to qualifying for the world cup in 1986. They came to within a game of reaching the finals in Mexico. After winning their match against Sudan
Sudan national football team
The Sudan national football team represents Sudan in association football and is controlled by the Sudan Football Association, the governing body for football in Sudan. Sudan's home ground is Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman and their head coach is Mohammed Abdullah Mazda...
in their first game, the Libyans beat Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
in the next round before taking on Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
for a place at the finals. Morocco won the first game 3–0 and went through, even though Libya won the return leg 1–0.
After not entering the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup competition, Libya came back in the qualifying competition for Korea/Japan. The Libyans advanced to the second round at the expense of Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
, who were beaten 4–3 on aggregate.
In the group stage, Libya managed only two draws in eight games, however. The qualifying tournament increased the profile of Libya's captain Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi, son of national leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, and he received a contract with former Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
Italian club Perugia shortly afterwards.
In the qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, a 9–0 two-legged victory against São Tome and Principe
São Tomé and Príncipe national football team
The São Tomé and Príncipe national football team is the national team of São Tomé and Príncipe and is controlled by the Federação Santomense de Futebol. It is a member of CAF and FIFA.-History:...
put the Libyans through to the group stage. However, during these two games Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi was banned when he failed a drug test
Drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
.
A difficult group followed containing Egypt, Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
, the eventual group winners and qualifiers for the World Cup. However, The knights were able to secure good results against these sides, as they beat Egypt 2–1 in Tripoli, and held Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
to 0–0 draws, helping them to a 4th place finish and a place at the 2006 African Cup of Nations
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
finals in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
See also
- 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)Listed below are the dates and results for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification....
(The closest Libya came to qualifying for the World Cup).
Libya 1982
The biggest football tournament to be held in Libya was the 1982 African Cup of Nations1982 African Cup of Nations
The 1982 African Cup of Nations was the 13th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Libya. Just like in 1980, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four...
. Libya qualified automatically as hosts and were put in agroup alongside Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. The opening match of the tournament saw the hosts take on Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in a 2–2 draw. A 2–0 win over Tunisia and a goalless draw against Cameroon saw Libya topping the group.
In the semi-finals, Libya came from behind to beat Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
2–1 and set up another match with Ghana, this time in the final on March 19. Ghana scored first in the 35th minute, but Libya equalised in the 70th. This was followed by a tense period of extra time in which no goals were scored. In a long penalty shootout, Ghana came out triumphant 7–6.
Egypt 2006
Libya's second African Cup of Nations saw a return to the higher levels of the international footballing scene at the 2006 African Cup of Nations2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
finals in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. They qualified for the competition after a goalless draw with Sudan
Sudan national football team
The Sudan national football team represents Sudan in association football and is controlled by the Sudan Football Association, the governing body for football in Sudan. Sudan's home ground is Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman and their head coach is Mohammed Abdullah Mazda...
in their ninth qualifying match.
Libya were drawn in Group A with Egypt (the hosts and eventual winners), 2006 World Cup-qualifiers
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Côte d'Ivoire and Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
. Libya lost 3–0 to Egypt in Cairo, then lost 2–1 to the Ivory Coast. A goalless draw against Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
saw Libya finish bottom of the group.
Recent years
Faouzi BenzartiFaouzi Benzarti
Faouzi Benzarti , , is a Tunisian former footballer and currently works as coach. He is recently manager of the Club Africain...
became the coach of the national team in 2006. He failed to lead the team to the 2008 African Nations Cup, despite being drawn in what was seen as an easy group along with DR Congo, Namibia
Namibia national football team
The Namibia national football team, nicknamed the Brave Warriors, is the national team of Namibia and is controlled by the Namibia Football Association...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia national football team
The Ethiopia national football team represents Ethiopia in association football and is controlled by the Ethiopian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Ethiopia...
; away defeats in Adis Ababa and Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
prevented qualification.
The next challenge for the Libyans was the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. They were drawn in Group 5 along with Gabon
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...
, Lesotho
Lesotho national football team
The Lesotho national football team, nicknamed the Likuena , is the national team of Lesotho and is controlled by the Lesotho Football Association...
and Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
: Libya were eliminated on goal difference after losing their final match against Gabon.
Libya had a chance to come back from World Cup misfortune during the qualifiers for the 2009 African Championship of Nations
2009 African Championship of Nations
The 2009 African Nations Championship was the first edition of the African Nations Championship in football. The tournament took place in Côte d’Ivoire from February 22 to March 8, 2009...
. They overcame Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco to go through to the tournament, but Libya finished bottom of their group after losing to Congo DR and drawing with Ghana and Zimbabwe. Benzarti was sacked, and Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
Branko Smiljanić
Branko Smiljanic
Branko Smiljanić is a Serbian football manager, currently employed as the manager of the Libya national football team.- Coaching career :...
was appointed on December 13. In July 2010, Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta was appointed the head coach of the Libyan team, and signed a four year contract ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil..
Post Gaddafi Era
Libya played its first match after the Battle of Tripoli (and thus the end of the Gaddafi era in Libya) on September 3 2011, with a new uniform sporting the National Transitional Council flag of Libya.The match, part of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, resulted in a 1–0 victory over Mozambique
Mozambique national football team
The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique...
. The historic goal was scored by Rabee'a al Laafi. Like Libya's previous home match, a 3–0 defeat of Comoros
Comoros national football team
The Comoros national football team is the national football team of Comoros, which is controlled by the Fédération Comorienne de Football. It was formed in 1979, joined the Confederation of African Football in 2003, and became a FIFA member in 2005....
in qualifying, played in Stade 26 mars
Stade 26 mars
Stade 26 mars is located in the southern neighborhoods of Bamako, Mali. It serves as a home ground for domestic football club Stade Malien and is the national stadium. It has a capacity of 50,000 as an all-seater stadium...
in Bamako, Mali, a relocation was necessary due to the on-going 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, and so the Petro Sport Stadium
Petro Sport Stadium
Petro Sport Stadium is a multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 25,000. Located in Cairo, Egypt. It was completed in 2006. It is the home for ENPPI and other Petrol clubs in Egypt.-External links:* at...
in Cairo, Egypt became the venue. The match was played behind closed doors
Behind closed doors (football)
The term "Behind Closed Doors" is used in several sports, primarily association football, to describe matches played where spectators are not allowed in the stadium to watch...
for security reasons.
Prior to the team's final game in the qualification campaign, against Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
, coach Marcos Paquetá claimed that the team was now "not only playing for football success but for a new government and a new country". The match was played on October 8 2011, and resulted in a 0–0 draw which was good enough for both teams to qualify. Paquetá and his team danced and celebrated afterwards.
In November 2011 the team travelled to the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
to play a friendly match against Belarus organized by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and broadcast Dubai Sports. The team members, along with the Libyan national Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
team, also attended an event at the Libyan Consulate in Dubai organized to honour their contribution to their country in the field of sports.
Rivalries
Libya's only real rivalries are with its fellow North AfricanMaghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
footballing nations, Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
, Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
and, mainly, Egypt. Matches between Libya and any one of these opponents are highly charged encounters, although the rivalry is not considered intense due to the gulf in quality between the sides. Libya defeated Egypt 2–1 in a World Cup qualifier on October 8, 2004, however they have never managed to defeat the Pharaohs on their own turf. The rivalry was rekindled at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
Football at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
The football competition at the 2007 Pan Arab Games was held in November. The Egyptian team won the gold medal while Libya and Saudi Arabia took second and third place respectively.-Tournament classification:-Matches:----------------...
, where the teams drew 0–0; Egypt eventually claimed the gold medal on goal difference from the Libyans.
Libya's last clash with Morocco was at the 2006 African Nations Cup, where it finished goalless (However, Libya also recently contested a fiery two-legged play-off tie for the 2009 African Championship of Nations
2009 African Championship of Nations
The 2009 African Nations Championship was the first edition of the African Nations Championship in football. The tournament took place in Côte d’Ivoire from February 22 to March 8, 2009...
, which Libya won 4–3 on aggregate). The height of the rivalry was in the 1980s, where a strong Libya side had its World Cup '86 dreams crushed by a resurgent Morocco side. The Moroccans won the play-off 3–1 on aggregate, and progressed to the knockout stage, where they were defeated by West Germany.
World Cup record
| FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body... |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | ||||||
 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Did not enter | |||||||
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
||||||||
 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
||||||||
 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
||||||||
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
||||||||
 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
||||||||
 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
||||||||
 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Withdrew | |||||||
 19701970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
Did not enter | |||||||
 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Withdrew during qualifying | |||||||
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
Withdrew during qualifying | |||||||
 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Disqualified due to UN United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... sanctions International sanctions International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions.... |
|||||||
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Did not enter | |||||||
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
||||||||
 20102010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
||||||||
 20142014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
 20182018 FIFA World Cup The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was... |
||||||||
 20222022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve... |
||||||||
| Total | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Libya is the only North African country never to qualify for a World Cup.
Africa Cup of Nations record
| Africa Cup of Nations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles: 0 Appearances: 2 |
|||||||||||
| Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | ||||
 1957 |
Did not enter |  1976 |
Did not enter |  1994 |
Did not enter |   2012 |
Qualified | ||||
 1959 |
 1978 |
1996 |
2013 |
TBD | |||||||
 1962 |
 1980 |
 1998 |
 20152015 Africa Cup of Nations The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be the 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . For the second time, the tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Morocco - the previous tournament held in Morocco was in 1988.-Intended Bids:-Bids shortlist:CAF... |
||||||||
| 1963 |
 1982 |
Runners up | 2000 |
Did not qualify |  20172017 Africa Cup of Nations The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Libya, for the second time. The first was in 1982, when the home team were runners-up. The competition is likely to be... |
Qualified | |||||
| 1965 |
 1984 |
Did not qualify |  2002 |
||||||||
| 1968 |
Did not qualify | 1986 |
2004 |
||||||||
| 1970 |
Did not enter | 1988 |
Withdrew | 2006 |
Round 1 | ||||||
 1972 |
Did not qualify |  1990 |
2008 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 1974 |
Withdrew |  1992 |
Did not enter |  2010 |
|||||||
- Red bordered cells indicates Cup was held in Libya.
Results and Upcoming Fixtures
| Date | Tournament | Location | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Libya Scorers | Opposition scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Estádio da MachavaEstádio da Machava Estádio da Machava is a multi-purpose stadium in Machava, a mainly residential town in the northwestern outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique. It is used for football matches and can hold 45,000 spectators... , Maputo Maputo Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its... |
|||||||
| 11 June Stadium, Tripoli Tripoli Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three... |
|||||||
| Stade 26 mars Stade 26 mars Stade 26 mars is located in the southern neighborhoods of Bamako, Mali. It serves as a home ground for domestic football club Stade Malien and is the national stadium. It has a capacity of 50,000 as an all-seater stadium... , Bamako Bamako Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world... |
|||||||
 Stade Said Mohamed CheikhStade Said Mohamed Cheikh Stade Said Mohamed Cheikh is a multi-use stadium in Mitsamiouli, Comoros. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It was opened in 2007 as part of FIFA's Win in Africa with Africa program. It is named after former Comoros head, Said Mohamed Cheikh. It replaced Stade de Beaumer as the... , Moroni Moroni -Places:*Moroni, Comoros, capital of the Comoros on the Grande Comore island.*Moroni, Utah-In the Latter-day Saint movement:*Moroni , a figure portrayed in the Book of Mormon as the son of Mormon and the book's last writer.... |
Ihaab Boussefi Ihaab Boussefi is a Libyan footballer. He currently plays for Nasr in the Libyan Premier League.-References:... |
||||||
| Petro Sport Stadium Petro Sport Stadium Petro Sport Stadium is a multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 25,000. Located in Cairo, Egypt. It was completed in 2006. It is the home for ENPPI and other Petrol clubs in Egypt.-External links:* at... , Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... |
|||||||
 Nkoloma StadiumNkoloma Stadium Nkoloma Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home for Red Arrows F.C. and Young Arrows F.C., both of the Zambian Premier League. The stadium holds 5,000 people.-External links:... , Lusaka Lusaka Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head... |
Current squad
Squad selected to face ZambiaZambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
(2012 CAN Qualifying), October 8, 2011:
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"