Football
Libya Can Upset ‘Quality’ Nigeria Team to Boost AFCON Chances, says Ahmed Abdelkarim
Libyan legend Ahmed Abdelkarim believes Libya can shock Nigeria in their AFCON 2025 qualifiers, despite Nigeria's strong squad.
Image Credits: FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images
Former Libya national team striker Ahmed Abdelkarim is confident that the Mediterranean Knights can surprise Nigeria in their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
The 1982 AFCON runners-up will face Augustine Eguavoen’s team in their next two outings. They need strong performances to revive their qualification hopes, as anything less could jeopardize their chances.
Nonetheless, the Libyan football legend who played in two AFCONs is optimistic about his country's chances of defeating the three-time African champions, the Super Eagles, who are currently on track to qualify for the tournament set to take place in Morocco.
“The Nigeria national team are one of the biggest teams in Africa and they have good and quality players who play in big leagues,” Abdelkarim told SportsBoom.com.
“We will show them respect but we will not be intimidated by their achievements. We have a young and talented squad that can represent us well and if we play to the best of our ability, we can shock them before their fans.”
“Another win in the return leg will put our qualification hopes back on track. Many have written us off even without the game being played but this is football where the impossible happens.”
Libya have named a 28-man squad to prosecute the double-header encounter with Al-Ittihad star Abu Shaibab, Al Nassr’s Mohammed Al-Tabbal and Ahmed Al-Masmari of Barcelona B making the cut.
LIBYA Still course for AFCON qualification
The North Africans started their qualification campaign for the Africa Cup of Nations on a rocky path, drawing 1-1 with Rwanda before delivering a lackluster performance against Benin Republic.
Against Gernot Rohr’s Cheetahs, they fell 2-1 at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan despite taking the lead through Faisal Saleh Al-Badri’s ninth minute penalty.
Sitting at the bottom of Group D with just one point from two matches, Libya's chances of qualification look bleak, but Abdelkarim remains optimistic.
He continued: “Only two games have been played and it is too early to rule us out.
“After playing a draw in our first match, we were close to picking out a win against Benin Republic, but we ended up losing despite scoring first.”
“We have learnt a lot from the two matches and our mistakes will be corrected in subsequent matches.”
There are six fixtures left and we are still on course to pick on of the tickets. The competition returns to North Africa, and we don’t want to be left out of it.
Ahmed Abdelkarim
New coach Al Hadhiri will deliver as Libya coach
The Libyan Football Federation announced the appointment of Nasser Al-Hadhiri as the new head coach of the Libyan national football team in September.
Coach Al-Hadhiri replaced Milutin Sredojevic, who was sacked following the country’s 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic.
Aside from poor results, the Serbian was shown the way out for his failure to build a strong squad, combined with questionable selection choices.
Abdelkarim supports the LFF’s decision and expresses confidence in the new coach who served as assistant under Spanish coach Javier Clemente in 2014.
“The Libyan Football Federation has taken the right decision by asking Nasser Al-Hadhiri to step in for coach Micho,” he added.
“He [Al Hadhiri] has been there before, and he has the experience to lead us forward.”
We believe in his abilities, and he can help us qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
“He will also help discover more players for the national team. Our desire is to return to the tournament, and he can get that done.”
Nigeria hosts the first leg ion October 11 in Uyo, with the reverse fixture taking place four days later at the Martyrs of February Stadium, Benghazi.
Libya last featured at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 edition co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
There, they crashed out in the group stage after finishing third in a group that paraded Zambia, Senegal, and hosts Equatorial Guinea.
Shina Oludare is a notable Nigerian sports journalist and writer recognized for his extensive coverage of African sports. He has made significant contributions to the field through his work with reputable media outlets such as Goal.com and Soccernet. Known for his insightful analysis and comprehensive reporting, Oludare covers a wide range of topics within African football, including domestic leagues, national teams, and emerging talents. His work includes detailed player profiles, match previews and reviews, and transfer news, providing valuable insights into the intricacies of the sport on the continent.