World Cup 2026 (Q): Mixed start for Aliou Cissé with Libya

Recently appointed as the head of the Libyan national team, the illustrious Senegalese coach Aliou Cissé experienced a mixed debut. His charges were caught by Angola in the dying seconds (1-1) on Thursday at the Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi during the 5th round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

After an initial scare repelled by Neblu, the Angolans responded with a strike from Zini hitting the post and a powerful shot from Fredy, brilliantly parried by the Libyan goalkeeper. On their side, the Mediterranean Knights also hit the opposing post before the break.

In the second half, Angola dominated but couldn't capitalize. Finally, Libya took the lead with a header from Muaid Ellafi, off a cross from Mohammed Salih Ali (1-0, 75th minute). This winning move validated Cissé's coaching, as he had just integrated these two players.

A frustrating draw for Libya and Aliou Cissé

As Libya missed the chance to seal the win, Fredy equalized directly from a corner in stoppage time (1-1, 90+2). The frustration was palpable, heightened by disputes over a denied penalty.

With this draw, Group D remains very tight: Cape Verde holds the lead, closely followed by Cameroon, Libya, and Angola.

Next up for Libya: a crucial away match against Cameroon.

Amine Jomni |

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African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.