Libya men’s national team coach, Nasser Al-Hadhiri, has admitted that his squad is underprepared for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Although the team began their training camp a week ago, key players like Ahmed Al-Tarbi (Ahli Tripoli), Mohammed Al-Tabbal (Al-Nasr), and Ali Youssef (Club Africain) are sidelined due to injuries. Additionally, the trio of Hamdou El-Houni, Sand Al-Warfali, and Mohamed Al-Munir from Al-Ahly Tripoli have declined to join the national team.
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These setbacks have added pressure on newly appointed coach Al-Hadhiri, who is preparing for his debut match and hopes to revive Libya’s chances of qualifying for AFCON.
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During a press conference in Tripoli, Al-Hadhiri acknowledged that his team is not ready to face Nigeria’s star-studded lineup, which boasts some of the world’s top players. However, he expressed optimism about causing an upset in the first leg, set to take place on Friday in Uyo.
“We have not yet reached the required readiness to face a strong opponent the size of Nigeria,” Nasser Al-Hadhiri told the press in Tripoli.
“The team suffers from the absence of a number of players in the first training sessions, which led to difficulty in imposing a comprehensive tactical vision for the match. This lack of preparation represents an additional obstacle for the team that needs to exert double efforts to achieve a positive result away from home, and return with at least a draw point to renew the hopes of qualification.”
Libya are bottom of Group D of their AFCON qualifiers after recording a draw and a loss. A loss to the Super Eagles in their doubleheader will automatically end the nation’s hopes of playing at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Nigeria are currently top of the group after two games earning four points from their win against Benin in Uyo and a draw against Rwanda in Kigali. Nigeria can book their spot at the 2025 AFCON if they win their doubleheader against Libya.
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