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Libya national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Libya women's national football team.

Libya
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)فُرْسَانُ الْمُتَوَّسِط (Fursan al-Mutawasit) (The Mediterranean Knights)
AssociationLibyan Football Federation
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationUNAF (North Africa)
Head coachNasser Al-Hadhirinew
CaptainFaisal Al Badri
Most capsAhmed Saad Osman (74)
Top scorerAli Al-Biski (35)
Home stadiumTripoli Stadium
FIFA codeLBY
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 118 Steady (19 December 2024)[1]
Highest36 (September 2012)
Lowest187 (July 1997)
First international
 Libya 5–2 Palestine 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 3 August 1953)
Biggest win
 Libya 21–0 Muscat and Oman
(Baghdad, Iraq; 6 April 1966)
Biggest defeat
 Egypt 10–2 Libya 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 6 August 1953)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances3 (first in 1982)
Best resultRunner-up (1982)
Medal record
Men's Football
Africa Cup of Nations
Silver medal – second place 1982 Libya
African Nations Championship
Gold medal – first place 2014 South Africa


Mediterranean Games
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Almería
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Pescara

The Libya national football team (Arabic: منتخب لِيْبيَا لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) represents Libya in men's international association football and it is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation. The team has never qualified for FIFA World Cup but has qualified for editions of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1982, 2006, and 2012. In 1982, the team was both the host and runner-up. In the Arab Cup, Libya finished second in 1964 and 2012, and third in 1966. The team is affiliated with both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Due to political circumstances, Libya has typically been less successful in international competition compared to other North African teams like Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia. Libya has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and its participation in AFCON is sporadic, having only qualified for three AFCON editions.

Since the 2010s, Libya's global ranking has improved due to the increasing number of Libyan players playing in foreign leagues. In the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the team recorded their first-ever win in the tournament outside Libya. Their FIFA world ranking rose to a high of 36 in September 2012; Libya then won a gold medal in the 2014 African Nations Championship. However, the Libyan Civil War caused the stoppage of the Libyan Premier League and severely disrupted domestic affairs. Libya was eliminated in the first round of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification by Rwanda and failed to qualify for the 2016 African Nations Championship as the defending champions.

History

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Early history

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Libya's national team was first initiated in 1918, but did not play an official international until 3 August 1953, when they defeated Palestine 5–2 in the first Arab Games in 1953. The team's first manager was Masoud Zantouny, and the first foreign manager was Englishman James Bingham, who took charge of the Libyan national team for the 1961 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 Arab Games group stage; in the match against Egypt, Ali Zantouny scored in the 3–2 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 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.

World Cups

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Libya first entered the FIFA World Cup 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.

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. Libyan player Al-Saadi Gaddafi was banned from the team after failing drug test.

A difficult group followed containing Egypt, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, 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 Ivory Coast to 0–0 draws, helping them to a 4th-place finish and a place at the 2006 African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

During the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Libya defeated each side in the second round during home matches (they also defeated Lesotho away). However they were defeated by Gabon in an away match, and failed to qualify to the next round on goal difference.

In the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Libya reached the final match in the group stage without a defeat. They were defeated 1–0 by Cameroon and failed to advance to the final round.

In the qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Libya defeated Rwanda 4–1 on aggregate in the second round but were eliminated after losing the first three matches in the group stages.

African Cup Of Nations

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Libya 1982

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The biggest football tournament to be held in Libya was the 1982 African Cup of Nations. Libya qualified automatically as hosts and were put in a group 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 19 March. 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.[3]

Egypt 2006

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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 Nations 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 Ivory Coast and Morocco. Libya lost 3–0 to Egypt in Cairo, then lost 2–1 to Ivory Coast. A goalless draw against Morocco saw Libya finish bottom of the group.

Post-Gaddafi era

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Libya played its first match after the Battle of Tripoli (and thus the end of the Gaddafi era in Libya) on 3 September 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. 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 ongoing 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.[4]

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".[5] The match was played on 8 October 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.[6]

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.[7]

On 7 June 2013, Libya met DR Congo in its first match on home ground in two years.

2012 Africa Cup of Nations

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Having qualified, Libya were drawn into Group A with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, qualification rivals Zambia and pre-tournament favourites Senegal.

The Mediterranean Knights' first game, the tournament's opening match, saw them lose to an 87th-minute winner from ex-Real Madrid winger Javier Ángel Balboa. Libya went on to secure a 2–2 draw with Zambia in terrible conditions at the Estadio de Bata, before two goals from Ihaab al Bousseffi guided them to a 2–1 victory over Senegal, their first Nations Cup win in 30 years and a first on foreign soil. After four points from three games Libya was eliminated at the group stage.

2014 African Nations Championship Final

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Libya played Ghana in the 2014 CHAN final. Extra time was given (two 15 minutes), however both teams failed to score. It was taken to penalty shootouts, where the Libyan team scored the first three penalties, missed two others and scored the final sixth and their Ghanaian opponents missed the first two, scored the next three then missed the final sixth penalty (resulting in 3 penalties scored). The match finished (0–0) and was won by the Mediterranean Knights by penalties (4–3).

Coaching crisis

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After Javier Clemente's dismissal in 2016, Jalal Damja took over the national team. He left in 2017 after his contract expired. Omar Almaryami was later appointed as coach and led Libya to the semi-finals of the 2018 African Nations Championship. After Libya's elimination by Morocco, Adel Amrouche was appointed in May 2018. His goal was to help Libya qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He led Libya to a 0–0 draw against South Africa away from home. However, days before Libya's match against Nigeria, Amrouche suddenly left the team's camp and later resigned. During an interview with Reuters, Amrouche said that the reason for his resignation was that the Libyan Football Federation was repeatedly interfering with his work as a coach. He also cited unpaid wages as a reason for his resignation.

Omar Almaryami was again appointed as a caretaker coach of Libya. The team lost twice to Nigeria (4–0 away, 3–2 home) and Almaryami was replaced by former striker Fawzi Al-Issawi, who led Libya to an 8–1 away win over Seychelles. However, Libya later lost to South Africa 2–1, and Libya failed to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. It was noted during the match that al-Issawi's assistant, Abu Bakr Bani was the one who made substitutions and instructed players, leaving many to wonder who was the actual coach.[citation needed]

After the match against South Africa, Jalal Damja was reappointed as the head coach for temporary matches in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification before Faouzi Benzarti was named as new coach of Libya. Under Benzarti, Libya opened their campaign with a disastrous 1–4 loss to Tunisia, the home of Benzarti, before managed to salvage an important 2–1 win over Tanzania to gain hope for qualifying to an AFCON tournament since 2012. Yet, managerial crisis once again erupted when Benzarti left the team and Libya had to appoint a local coach, Ali El Margini, in charge against Equatorial Guinea, a team that had not won a single game in the qualification. Internal instability proved to be a rupture, as Libya lost two consecutive games against the Central African opponent and fell out of top two position. El Margini left after losing all three of his games in charge. He was replaced by Zoran Filipović, who led a team of domestic players into the 2020 African Nations Championship. Libya were eliminated in the group stage after two draws and a loss in three games. Defeats in their final two AFCON qualifiers saw Filipovic sacked in May 2021.[8] Javier Clemente was reappointed as head coach shortly afterwards.[9][10]

Kits

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Libya national football team kits.

In the Gaddafi era the National team used to play its home matches wearing the green coloured kit representing the Flag of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. However, after the Libyan Civil War in 2011, Libya changed its flag to the new one which was used from 1951 to 1969 back when Libya was a Kingdom. This change resulted in changing the national team's kit in order to represent the new flag. The team played its home matches with colours: Red, Black and Green (as in the flag). Red dominates the strip and is the sole jersey colour. The away colours were white in both eras. Since 2011, the LFF emblem and the national team's badge was changed into the current design. The previous badge was two balls in front of green coloured Libya's map which is also in front of a sun.

During late 2011 and early 2012 the Libyan team wore white jerseys temporarily in their qualification games and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. However, in mid-2012 the team began to use red jerseys. In 2014, Libya replaced the green socks worn by the players with black ones.

Adidas is the supplier of the official team strip.

Home stadium

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Main article: Tripoli Stadium
Tripoli Stadium

The Tripoli Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tripoli, Libya. It can hold 80,000 spectators.

It was the main venue used by the Libyan national football team in its FIFA World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifying matches as well as friendlies and other international games.

The stadium hosted many games of the 1982 African Cup of Nations held in Libya along with the 28 March Stadium in Benghazi.

The 28 March Stadium in Benghazi was also used by the national team sometimes.

FIFA lifted the ban on Libyan stadiums in 2013, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. However, it was re-imposed in 2014 due to increased security concerns. The Libyan national team was forced to host games in neighboring countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Egypt or Tunisia (Tunisia the most popular choice due to its close distance to Libya).

Libya played their first home game since 2013 at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi against Tunisia on 25 March 2021.


Rivalries

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Libya's only real rivalries are with its fellow North African footballing nations, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and, mainly, Tunisia. Matches between Libya and any one of these opponents are highly charged encounters. Libya defeated Egypt 2–1 in a World Cup qualifier on 8 October 2004, the Pharaohs only managed to beat the Libyans on their own turf twice. The rivalry was rekindled at the 2007 Arab Games, where the teams drew 0–0; Egypt eventually claimed the gold medal on goal difference from the Libyans.

Libya also has a rivalry with Morocco. Libya's last win against Morocco was during the 1986 World Cup qualifiers, which Libya won 1–0. A friendly was played between both countries on the 11th of October 2019 in which they tied. Matches between Libya and Tunisia are also very tense, the last time they played was a 5–2 win from the latter in the African Cup of Nations qualification group stage round.

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Libya national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

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2 January Friendly Indonesia  0–4  Libya Antalya, Turkey
15:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
Referee: Bahattin Şimşek (Turkey)
5 January Friendly Libya  2–1  Indonesia Antalya, Turkey
15:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
Referee: Kadir Sağlam (Turkey)
12 January Friendly Libya  3–1  Kuwait Cairo, Egypt
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
22 March Friendly Libya  2–1  Burkina Faso Casablanca, Morocco
22:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium
Referee: Karim Sabry (Morocco)
26 March Friendly Togo  1–1  Libya Casablanca, Morocco
22:00 UTC+1 Tchakei 39' Report Krawa'a 37' Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium
6 June 2026 World Cup qualification Libya  2–1  Mauritius Benghazi, Libya
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Martyrs of February Stadium
Referee: Brighton Chimene (Zimbabwe)
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification Cape Verde  1–0  Libya Praia, Cape Verde
15:00 UTC−1
Report Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Ibrahim Kalilou Traore (Ivory Coast)
31 August Friendly Libya  1–0  Botswana Tripoli, Libya
18:00 UTC+2 Krawa'a 54' (pen.) Report Stadium: Tripoli Stadium
4 September 2025 AFCON qualification Libya  1–1  Rwanda Tripoli, Libya
18:00 UTC+2 Al-Dhawi 16' Report Nshuti 47' Stadium: Tripoli Stadium
Referee: Imtehaz Heeralall (Mauritius)
10 September 2025 AFCON qualification Benin  2–1  Libya Abidjan, Ivory Coast
19:00 UTC±0
Report
Stadium: Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium
Referee: Abdel Aziz Bouh (Mauritania)
11 October 2025 AFCON qualification Nigeria  1–0  Libya Uyo, Nigeria
17:00 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium
Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga (Malawi)
15 October 2025 AFCON qualification Libya  0–3
Awarded[note 1]		  Nigeria Benghazi, Libya
21:00 UTC+2 Stadium: Martyrs of February Stadium
Note: The Libya v Nigeria match, originally scheduled for 15 October 2024, was cancelled after the Nigerian team was allegedly left stranded at Al Abraq International Airport for more than 12 hours upon arrival, two days before the match.[15] This led the Nigeria Football Federation to refuse to play and send their team back home.[16] CAF later confirmed that the match would not take place and stated that a decision regarding its outcome would be made.[17]
14 November 2025 AFCON qualification Rwanda  0–1  Libya Kigali, Rwanda
--:-- UTC+2
Stadium: Amahoro Stadium
18 November 2025 AFCON qualification Libya  0–0  Benin Tripoli, Libya
18:00 UTC+2 Stadium: Tripoli Stadium

Coaching history

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Players

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Current squad

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The following 28 players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification games against  Nigeria in October 2024.[20]

Caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2024, after the match against  Nigeria.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Abdeljawad Hameida (1994-01-20) 20 January 1994 (age 30) 1 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi
12 1GK Murad Al-Wuheeshi (1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 27) 16 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi
22 1GK Mohamed Darebi (2003-05-05) 5 May 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Libya Abu Salim
1GK Mohamed Ayad (2002-01-15) 15 January 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Libya Al-Tahaddy
2 2DF Mohammed Al-Shiteewi (1993-07-29) 29 July 1993 (age 31) 1 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
3 2DF Subhi Al-Dhawi (2004-06-08) 8 June 2004 (age 20) 8 1 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli
4 2DF Ali Yousef (2001-07-09) 9 July 2001 (age 23) 15 0 Tunisia Club Africain
5 2DF Ahmed Saleh (2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 23) 5 0 Libya Al Akhdar
11 2DF Mehdi Al-Kout (1999-08-29) 29 August 1999 (age 25) 7 0 Libya Al Akhdar
21 2DF Sanad Bin Ali (2000-09-19) 19 September 2000 (age 24) 6 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi
25 2DF Majdi Erteiba (1990-11-26) 26 November 1990 (age 34) 7 0 Libya Al Akhdar
26 2DF Mohammed Khaleel (2001-12-13) 13 December 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli
2DF Ahmed El Trbi (1992-06-06) 6 June 1992 (age 32) 59 0 Libya Al-Ahli Tripoli
2DF Al Bahlul Bousahmin (1993-12-09) 9 December 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi
6 3MF Suhaib Shafshuf (1991-01-19) 19 January 1991 (age 33) 17 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi
8 3MF Nouraldin Al-Qulaib (2001-03-22) 22 March 2001 (age 23) 12 0 Libya Al-Ahli Tripoli
10 3MF Osama Belaid (1998-11-28) 28 November 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
13 3MF Ahmed Saad (1997-01-14) 14 January 1997 (age 27) 5 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
14 3MF Muhanad Madyen (1994-03-25) 25 March 1994 (age 30) 16 0 Libya Al-Madina
20 3MF Osamah Al-Shuraimi (2001-02-20) 20 February 2001 (age 23) 12 1 Libya Asswehly
23 3MF Bader Hassan (1987-10-01) 1 October 1987 (age 37) 16 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi
3MF Faisal Al Badri (1990-06-04) 4 June 1990 (age 34) 71 14 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
3MF Abdussalam Tubal (1993-06-23) 23 June 1993 (age 31) 32 0 Libya Al-Nasr Benghazi
3MF Omar Al Khouja (2000-03-01) 1 March 2000 (age 24) 24 3 Libya Asswehly
7 4FW Abdullah Al-Meehoub (1995-08-24) 24 August 1995 (age 29) 1 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi
9 4FW Ahmed Krawa'a (1989-04-21) 21 April 1989 (age 35) 19 7 Libya Al-Ahli Tripoli
15 4FW Ahmed Elmsmari 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Spain Barcelona
17 4FW Fadel Ali Salama (2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 22) 14 2 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi
19 4FW Ezzeddin El Maremi (1998-08-22) 22 August 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
4FW Mouath Eissa (1999-05-08) 8 May 1999 (age 25) 15 1 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli
4FW Abdulmuyassir Boushibah (2004-02-02) 2 February 2004 (age 20) 5 1 Libya Al-Ittihad Misurata

Recent call ups

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The following players have been called up to the Libya squad in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Aseel Al-Maqsabi (2000-08-02) 2 August 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
GK Miftah Al-Taeb (1996-01-31) 31 January 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Libya Al Akhdar v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
DF Hamed El Thalba (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 29) 6 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi v.  Benin; 10 September 2024
DF Hassan Abbas (1996-08-07) 7 August 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Libya Al Akhdar v.  Rwanda; 4 September 2024
DF Nassim Anan 0 0 Libya Al-Madina v.  Rwanda; 4 September 2024
DF Talal Farhat (1994-09-08) 8 September 1994 (age 30) 12 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
DF Abdelaziz Ali (1997-02-04) 4 February 1997 (age 27) 6 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
DF Mohamed Al-Takbali (1999-04-12) 12 April 1999 (age 25) 5 0 Libya Asswehly v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
DF Osama Al-Sareet (2002-01-28) 28 January 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
DF Ahmed Fakroun (2000-05-03) 3 May 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
DF Salah Fakroun (1999-02-08) 8 February 1999 (age 25) 12 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024 INJ
DF Mahmoud Al-Awgaly (1997-01-21) 21 January 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Libya Al Ta'awon v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024
DF Jaefar Adrees (1997-02-21) 21 February 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi v.  Cameroon; 21 November 2023
DF Tahir Bin Amir (2000-04-16) 16 April 2000 (age 24) 6 0 Algeria Paradou v.  Eswatini; 17 November 2023
MF Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (1994-03-28) 28 March 1994 (age 30) 7 0 Libya Asswehly v.  Benin; 10 September 2024
MF Tarek B'Shara (2000-01-22) 22 January 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Libya Al-Ahli Tripoli v.  Benin; 10 September 2024
MF Salem Boushaala (2004-01-22) 22 January 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Misurata v.  Benin; 10 September 2024
MF Faraj Ghaidan (2001-07-15) 15 July 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Libya Al Ta'awon v.  Benin; 10 September 2024
MF Moatasem Al-Musrati (1996-04-06) 6 April 1996 (age 28) 42 2 Turkey Beşiktaş v.  Rwanda; 4 September 2024 WD
MF Abdulmunem Aleiyan (1997-01-11) 11 January 1997 (age 27) 5 1 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
MF Hussein Taktak (2002-04-20) 20 April 2002 (age 22) 3 1 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi v.  Cape Verde; 11 June 2024
MF Abouqassim Rajab (1999-09-03) 3 September 1999 (age 25) 9 1 Libya Al-Ittihad Misurata v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
MF Ziyad Al-Elwani (2000-05-25) 25 May 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Libya Al Nasr Benghazi v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
MF Younes Al-Hijazi (2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Libya Al Akhdar v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
MF Daniel Elfadli (1997-04-06) 6 April 1997 (age 27) 3 1 Germany Hamburg SV v.  Togo; 26 March 2024 WD
MF Alaa Al Qajdar (1998-02-15) 15 February 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024
MF Mohsen Al-Awjali (1997-01-21) 21 January 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Libya Al Ta'awon v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024
MF Abdulsalam Dega (2000-09-21) 21 September 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi v.  Cameroon; 21 November 2023
FW Mohamed Bettamer (1993-04-01) 1 April 1993 (age 31) 3 1 Libya Asswehly v.  Rwanda; 4 September 2024
FW Taha Al-Shalawi (1997-02-21) 21 February 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
FW Amjad Ben Abdi (1999-03-07) 7 March 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Libya Al Akhdar v.  Togo; 26 March 2024
FW Abdulsamie Diab (2004-03-21) 21 March 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Libya Al-Ahli Tripoli v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024
FW Mohamed Adel 0 0 Libya Al Murooj v.  Kuwait; 12 January 2024
FW Mohamed Elghadi (1999-03-26) 26 March 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Libya Abu Salim v.  Cameroon; 21 November 2023
Notes
  • INJ Withdrew due to injury
  • PRE Preliminary squad / standby
  • WD Withdrew due to non-injury issue

Records

[edit]
As of 11 October 2024[21]
Players in bold are still active with Libya.

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Ahmed Saad Osman 74 20 2001–2013
2 Faisal Al Badri 73 14 2011–present
3 Muhammad Nashnoush 72 0 2011–2021
4 Motasem Sabbou 63 2 2013–2022
5 Younes Al Shibani 60 3 2003–2013
6 Ahmed El Trbi 59 0 2013–present
7 Ali Salama 58 2 2010–present
8 Mohamed Al Ghanodi 54 8 2013–2017
9 Muhammad Al Maghrabi 52 3 2006–2013
10 Tarik El Taib 50 11 1997–2011

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ali Al-Biski 35 44 0.8 1961–1970
2 Ahmed Saad Osman 20 74 0.27 2001–2013
3 Ahmed Al Masli 17 32 0.53 1998–2008
4 Faisal Al Badri 14 73 0.19 2011–present
5 Tarik El Taib 11 50 0.22 1997–2011
6 Nader Kara 9 32 0.28 2001–2009
7 Muaid Ellafi 8 38 0.21 2014–present
Mohamed Al Ghanodi 8 54 0.15 2011–2017
9 Ahmed Krawa'a 7 19 0.37 2009–present
Anis Saltou 7 28 0.25 2013–present

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to France 1938 Part of Italy Part of Italy
Brazil 1950 to Chile 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 5
West Germany 1974 Did not enter Declined participation
Argentina 1978 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 1
Spain 1982 Withdrew 2 1 1 0 2 1
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 6 2 3 1 7 3
Italy 1990 Withdrew Withdrew
United States 1994 Disqualified Disqualified
France 1998 Did not enter Declined participation
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 10 1 2 7 11 22
Germany 2006 12 5 3 4 17 10
South Africa 2010 6 4 0 2 7 4
Brazil 2014 6 2 3 1 5 3
Russia 2018 8 3 1 4 8 11
Qatar 2022 6 2 1 3 4 7
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 4 2 1 1 4 3
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/15 63 22 16 25 67 72

Africa Cup of Nations

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Main article: Libya at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 4 5
Sudan 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
Cameroon 1972 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 3
Egypt 1974 Withdrew Withdrew
Ethiopia 1976 Did not enter Did not enter
Ghana 1978
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 3 0 7 4 Qualified as hosts
Ivory Coast 1984 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 2
Egypt 1986 4 2 0 2 5 4
Morocco 1988 Withdrew Withdrew
Algeria 1990
Senegal 1992 Did not enter Did not enter
Tunisia 1994
South Africa 1996
Burkina Faso 1998
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 6
Mali 2002 8 3 0 5 8 14
Tunisia 2004 6 3 1 2 12 8
Egypt 2006 Group stage 14th 3 0 1 2 1 5 12 5 3 4 17 10
Ghana 2008 Did not qualify 6 2 2 2 7 6
Angola 2010 6 4 0 2 7 4
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 4 4 6 3 3 0 6 1
South Africa 2013 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 3
Equatorial Guinea 2015 2 0 1 1 0 3
Gabon 2017 6 2 1 3 8 6
Egypt 2019 6 2 1 3 16 11
Cameroon 2021 6 1 0 5 7 15
Ivory Coast 2023 6 1 1 4 2 8
Morocco 2025 6 1 2 3 3 7
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total Runners-up 3/34 11 3 5 3 12 13 90 30 16 47 106 116

Olympic Games

[edit]
Olympic Games record
Appearances: 0
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1896 – 1948 Did not exist
Finland 1952 Did not enter
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968 Did not qualify
West Germany 1972 Did not enter
Canada 1976 Did not qualify
Soviet Union 1980 Withdrew during qualification
United States 1984 Did not qualify
South Korea 1988 Did not enter
Spain 1992
United States 1996
Australia 2000
Greece 2004 Did not qualify
China 2008
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016 Did not enter
Japan 2020 Did not qualify
France 2024
Total 0/28
  • Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since the 1992 edition.

All-Africa Games

[edit]
All-Africa Games record
Appearances: 1
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Republic of the Congo 1965 Did not enter
Nigeria 1973
Algeria 1978 Group stage 1 8th 3 1 0 2 3 4
Kenya 1987 Did not enter
Egypt 1991
Zimbabwe 1995
South Africa 1999
Nigeria 2003 Did not qualify
Algeria 2007
Mozambique 2011 Did not enter
Republic of the Congo 2015
Morocco 2019 To be determined
Ghana 2023
Total Group stage 1/11 3 1 0 2 3 4
  • Prior to the Cairo 1991 campaign, the Football at the All-Africa Games was open to full senior national teams.
  • ^1 Libya was disqualified from the tournament due to violence with the Egyptian team during the match in the group stage.

African Nations Championship

[edit]
African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 4[note 2]
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Ivory Coast 2009 Group stage 7th 3 0 2 1 1 3
Sudan 2011 Did not qualify
South Africa 2014 Champions 1st 6 1 5 0 6 4
Rwanda 2016 Did not qualify
Morocco 2018 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 7 6
Cameroon 2020 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 1 2
Algeria 2022 9th 3 1 0 2 1 2
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2024 Withdrew
Total 1 title 5/7 21 4 11 6 16 17

Mediterranean Games

[edit]
Mediterranean Games record
Appearances: 9
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1951 Did not enter
Spain 1955
Lebanon 1959
Italy 1963
Tunisia 1967 Group stage 8th 3 0 1 2 1 5
Turkey 1971 Did not enter
Algeria 1975 Group stage 7th 4 1 0 3 4 8
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979 Did not enter
Morocco 1983 Group stage 9th 2 0 0 2 2 5
Syria 1987 Did not enter
Greece 1991
France 1993
Italy 1997 Group stage 10th 3 0 2 1 3 4
Tunisia 2001 7th 2 0 1 1 1 2
Spain 2005 Bronze medalists 3rd 5 1 2 2 3 10
Italy 2009 4 0 3 1 0 1
Turkey 2013 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 6 12
Spain 2018 Group stage 9th 2 0 0 2 1 8
Algeria 2022 Did not enter
Total Bronze medalists 9/18 30 3 10 17 21 55

FIFA Arab Cup

[edit]
FIFA Arab Cup record
Appearances: 4
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 Did not enter
Kuwait 1964 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 2 0 9 5
Iraq 1966 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 20 4
Saudi Arabia 1985 Did not enter
Jordan 1988
Syria 1992
Qatar 1998 Group stage 11th 4 0 0 2 2 4
Kuwait 2002 Withdrew
Saudi Arabia 2012 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 11 8
Qatar 2021 Did not qualify
Total Runners-up 4/9 18 7 6 3 42 21

Arab Games

[edit]
Arab Games record
Appearances: 9
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1953 Bronze medalists 3rd 3 2 0 1 10 14
Lebanon 1957 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 5 12
Morocco 1961 Bronze medalists 3rd 5 2 1 2 13 13
United Arab Republic 1965 6 4 0 2 44 18
Syria 1976 Did not enter
Morocco 1985 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 2 2
Syria 1992 Did not enter
Lebanon 1997 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 4 5
Jordan 1999 Bronze medalists 3rd 6 3 2 1 11 6
Algeria 2004 No tournament
Egypt 2007 Silver medalists 2nd 4 3 1 0 7 1
Qatar 2011 Group stage 7th 3 0 2 1 1 2
Total Silver medalists 9/11 35 15 8 12 97 73

Palestine Cup of Nations

[edit]
Main article: Palestine Cup of Nations

Honours

[edit]

Continental

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Regional

[edit]

Friendly

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See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Libya v Nigeria match, originally scheduled for 15 October 2024, was cancelled after the Nigerian team was allegedly left stranded at Al Abraq International Airport for more than 12 hours upon arrival, two days before the match.[11] This led the Nigeria Football Federation to refuse to play and send their team back home.[12] CAF later confirmed that the match would not take place and stated that a decision regarding its outcome would be made.[13] On 26 October, CAF announced that Nigeria were awarded a 3–0 walkover win, and applied fines against Libya.[14]
  2. ^ Libya played against Tunisia at the 2020 African Nations Championship qualification, home and away, and Libya lost both matches 0–1 and 1–2. On 20 December 2019, the Tunisian Football Federation withdrew from the finals due to the pressure of the calendar after the approval of the clubs. On 31 January 2020, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to replace Tunisia with Libya in the finals.[22]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  3. ^ Anaman, Fiifi (19 March 2017). "The Last Time: How Ghana managed an unlikely ascension unto the African football throne". Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  4. ^ 4 September 2011, Libyan football enters post-Gaddafi era Archived 2018-10-31 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News Online, Accessed September 5, 2011.
  5. ^ 7 October 2011, Libya eye unlikely qualification Archived 2023-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, BBC Sport, Accessed October 8, 2011.
  6. ^ 8 October 2011, Zambia, Libya make Nations Cup cut Archived 2023-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, BBC Sport, Accessed October 8, 2011.
  7. ^ 29 November 2011, Libyan National Football Team and the Libyan National Chess Team Reception Archived 2012-05-09 at the Wayback Machine, [SmugMug Sohail Nakhooda], Accessed 30 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Libya looking for a new men's football coach". Archived from the original on 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  9. ^ "Javier Clemente vuelve: "Necesito entrenar, es como un doping para mi"". Archived from the original on 2021-05-30. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  10. ^ "Javier Clemente: Libyan National Football Team's New Coach". Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  11. ^ "Nigeria players 'held hostage' in airport and left with no food and water ahead of Libya clash". The Daily Telegraph. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Nigeria's Super Eagles boycott Libya match over 'mind games'". Deutsche Welle. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  13. ^ "CAF Media Statement on TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Fixture: Libya vs Nigeria". CAF. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  14. ^ "الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم "كاف" يقرر خسارة المنتخب الليبي أمام نظيره المنتخب النيجيري" [The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided that the Libyan national team will lose to its Nigerian counterpart.]. beIN Sports (in Arabic). 26 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Nigeria players 'held hostage' in airport and left with no food and water ahead of Libya clash". The Daily Telegraph. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Nigeria's Super Eagles boycott Libya match over 'mind games'". Deutsche Welle. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  17. ^ "CAF views the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team (Super Eagles) at an airport in Libya in a very serious light". CAF. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  18. ^ Ca selecţioner al Libiei, Cicerone Manolache avea un salariu de 2.000 $, dar statul român oprea 1.700 $ Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, www.libertatea.ro, 29 mars 2011.
  19. ^ Dakhil, Morad (February 21, 2023). "Libya search for homegrown coach as Corentin Martins departs". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  20. ^ "Libya announces 28-man squad for AFCON qualifiers against Nigeria". Sports Ration. 29 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Libya". National Football Teams.
  22. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Libya replaces Tunisia for Total CHAN Cameroon 2020". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  23. ^ "Morocco wins Arab Cup 2012 title". alarabiya.net. Al Arabia News. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
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