Libya Saturday night emerged winner of CHAN 2014 with a 4-3 defeat of the Ghanian Black Stars.
The match ended goalless draw after 90 minutes of play and extra time 30 minutes.
It took the sudden death round of penalty kicks after a 3-3 scoreline for Libya to emerge champion of the competition.
Nigeria had earlier narrowly beaten Zimbabwe 1-0 in the semi-finals.
The last time the Libyan national side played in a continental tournament final was at home during the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations. Their opponents on that 19th of March in the 11 June Stadium in Tripoli were none other than the Black Stars of Ghana. This is just the beginning of the ironic clash of the two teams who contest the 3rd African Nations Championship final at Cape Town Stadium today.
In the 1982 AFCON finals both sides were in the same group and played the opening match which ended in a 2-2 draw. At this year’s CHAN the two sides have been in the same group (C) based in Bloemfontein and played out a 1-1 draw in their group match. George Alhassan put the Blacks stars in front after 35 minutes but Libya hit back with Ali Al-Beshari and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Ghana would triumph 7-6 on penalties to claim their fourth championship leaving hosts Libya disconsolate at home and thirty-two (32) years later the Mediterranean Knights and the Black Stars play each other in another continental final. With this trail of similarities what are the odds of history repeating itself one might ask?
Coach Javier Clemente will be forced to make changes to fill in for defender Osama Ghit and striker Abdelrahman Fetori who both sit out the final dues to suspension after yellow card accumulation. Clemente admitted the Mediterranean Knights had ridden their luck in the semi-final against Zimbabwe and will be hoping that good fortune carries on.
Libya will host the 2017 AFCON finals and the Spaniard is assembling a team with that tournament in mind. Reaching CHAN final will certainly have gone someway in justifying the work and time he and his squad have invested in the project for 2017.
Their focus for now will be to derail Ghana who contested and lost the first CHAN final in 2009. Ghana will probably start out as favorites but Libyans enjoys that role of being underdogs and will be aiming to upset Ghana, “This is football anything can happen, we will prepare well and battle hard and see what the outcome will be. We are prepared for and will accept the outcome whatever it is. It is simple a great joy and achievement that we have reached the final, of course we want to win it but even if we don’t it has been a great tournament for us,” said Bazina
Libya have reached their second African Nations Championship final thanks to a dramatic penalty-shootout win over Zimbabwe in Mangaung.
Both teams failed to score during 120 minutes of football before the Libyans earned a 5-4 victory from the spot.
Zimbabwe created the first meaningful chance of the tie in the 14th minute, but Mohamed Ghanudi failed to convert his headed effort from six yards out.
The Warriors continued to be the dominant force as the half wore on and had a further opportunity to break the deadlock in the 34th minute after Milton Ncube had picked out Simba Sithole. However, the striker couldn’t keep his header on target.
After the restart Ncube had a chance himself to score with 60 minutes played, but his strike from distance was held by Libya goalkeeper Mohamed Abdaula.
As the match approached the 90th minute, Zimbabwe’s Kudakwashe Mahachi was presented with an opening 14 yards from goal, but he shot over the crossbar.
The best opportunity during extra time fell the way of Libya as Elmutasem Abushnaf’s harmless effort crept through the legs of George Chigova and wide of the post.
The contest was ultimately decided by penalties, and it was Libya who went through when their goalkeeper Abdaula scored the decisive kick.
Libya twice had the chance to book their place in the final but failed to convert their kicks on both occasions. However, Abdaula eventually stepped up to seal his side’s progress.
A 4-2 penalty shoot-out win sent Libya into their first-ever CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN)- semifinal after 120 minutes of action against Gabon at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday finished 1-1.
The first 45 minutes was a rather timid affair in attack as both teams kept it tight at the back. Consequently, chances on goal were few and far between.
Gabon started the brighter of the two teams and created the first chance of the game in the second minute after Romuald Ewouta Entsitsigui made his way down the left flank before cutting inside and seeing his powerful shot from just outside the box well-saved.
Gabon were at it again in the 14th minute and a little unlucky not to take the lead as Samson Mbingui struck the crossbar with a 22-yard free-kick.
The rest of the half saw both teams squandering possession as neither could hold onto the ball long enough to sustain a period of pressure that would create a chance on goal.
The half ended 0-0.
The start of the second 45 saw Gabon with the lion’s share of possession in front of the Libyan goal, but it was at the other end of the park where we saw the game’s opening goal.
In the 50th minute, very much against the run of play, a swift counter-attack by Libya saw Abdelsalam Omar through on goal and he showed composure under pressure as he lobbed the on-rushing goalkeeper from just outside the box, 1-0.
Gabon tried to fight their way back into the match, but could not create any decent openings in front of goal as Libya’s defence held firm for the large part.
Finally, in the 72nd minute Gabon were rewarded for their pressure when Fetori pulled Lionel Yackouya down inside the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Daniel Cousin then restored parity for Gabon with a cool finish, 1-1.
Neither team could find the winner as the match ended 1-1 and moved into 30 minutes of extra-time.
Still, neither side could break the deadlock as the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes of action and moved into the lottery of the penalty shoot-out.
Libya were perfect in the shoot-out and did not miss a spot-kick as they ran out 4-2 winners on penalties.
Kano Pillars midfielder Shehu Abdullahi has put on hold a move to Libya so as to feature at CHAN.
The former Nigeria U20 star has a concrete offer from Libya, but he has insisted he will only look at it after the CHAN in South Africa.
A source close to the player informed MTNFootball.com: “Shehu has seen interests from Libya and the money is good, but he has said he will not take it till after the CHAN, where he could even get a better offer.”
Abdullahi, who played at right back for Nigeria at last year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey, was a late inclusion on the final squad to CHAN, which kicks off on Saturday in Cape Town.
The player who will be 21 in March, is behind Ikenna Paul of Sunshine Stars in the Eagles pecking order at CHAN.
Recently many Nigerian players have moved to Libya with former Heartland forward, Abdul Haruna the latest export to the North African country.
The United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has signed the agreement with the Libya to help promote the country’s tourism. Under the agreement, signed last week during the 2013 World Travel Market (WTM) in London, UNWTO will provide support to Libya´s Ministry of Tourism in its strategic tourism development through institutional building and governance, sustainable development, marketing and human resource development.
Priority will be given to institutional building and governance, with technical support focused on developing a cohesive tourism policy, strategy and action plan, as well as updating the sector´s legislative and regulatory frameworks and strengthening its organizational structure.
“This agreement is a very positive step in reviving Libya´s tourism sector and affirms UNWTO´s commitment to Libya during this time of national rebuilding. Tourism will enhance the country´s global image and contribute to its sustainable economic growth and development,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
“Libya has great potential for tourism. It was a tourism destination in the 60s and we want to prioritize rebuilding the country´s tourism sector. Tourism provides great opportunity for investment and employment and will give a better face for Libya,” said Libya´s Tourism Minister Ikram Bash Imam.
“By joining hands with UNWTO, we will work to implement our plan for sustainable tourism development”, he added.
The cooperation agreement will build on Libya´s Ministry of Tourism action plan towards sustainable tourism development with the support of the public and private sector.
The agreement was the result of the UNWTO mission to Tripoli in June 2013 to assess the specific needs of Libya’s tourism sector.
West Texas Intermediate crude fluctuated on speculation that Libyan production will increase while a report showed that United States’ service industries expanded at the fastest pace in five months in July.
Crude swung between losses and gains as Libyan Oil Minister Abdulbari Al-Arusi said at a press conference in Tripoli that the country, holder of Africa’s largest crude reserves, should pump 800,000 barrels a day next month from a current 700,000. The Institute for Supply Management’s U.S. non-manufacturing index increased to 56 in July from 52.2 the prior month, a report from the Tempe, Arizona-based group showed today.
“The Libyan oil minister’s statements about the rise in oil production promptly sent the market about $1 lower,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York hedge fund that focuses on energy. “The market rebounded after the better-than-expected ISM number. Anything that points to a stronger U.S. economy is good for oil demand.”
WTI crude for September delivery declined 10 cents to $106.84 a barrel at 12:40 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices earlier climbed as much as 0.7 per cent and dropped 1.2 per cent. The volume of all futures traded was 36 per cent below the 100-day average.
Brent oil for September settlement decreased 17 cents to $108.78 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 19 per cent below the 100-day average. The European benchmark traded at a $1.94 premium to WTI, down from $2.01 on August 2.
Libyan crude output tumbled 330,000 barrels to 800,000 barrels a day in July, a Bloomberg survey showed. It was the fourth straight decline and sent production to the lowest level since December 2011.
“The fact that some Libyan production is coming back is reducing upward pressure on the market,” said Tom Finlon, director of Energy Analytics Group LLC in Jupiter, Florida.
The North African country reopened an oil port closed by protests last week. All but one of Libya’s oil export harbors was shut last week because of a labor dispute. The Marsa el Hrega and Zawiya ports are operating while Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Marsa Brega and Zueitina remain closed, Naji Mokhtar, head of the parliamentary energy committee, said August 3 in a telephone interview from Tripoli.
“Some Libyan barrels are back on board and it looks like there is more to come,” said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York.
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member has lost an estimated 4.5 million barrels of crude and 190,000 barrels of condensate shipments, Goldman Sachs analysts including Jeffrey Currie said in a research note dated August 2.
South Africa said it will track and repatriate Libyan funds and assets that were hidden in the country during the rule of dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan reached the agreement after talks with Libyan officials, including Usama al Abid, minister in the office of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zaidan, on June 4, according to a statement from the South African finance ministry. The repatriation will be done under United Nations protocols.
Libya, which ousted Qaddafi last year, is seeking the return of overseas assets after the value of its sovereign wealth fund dropped. The Libyan Investment Authority’s assets are about $57 billion, down from about $61 billion in 2008, outgoing sovereign wealth head Mohsen Derregia said in March.
The country is also examining losses on derivative contracts it entered into with Societe Generale SA and Goldman Sachs Group that contributed to the declines, he said.
Libya´s Ministry of Tourism hasenlisted the UNWTO to help implement an action plan to rebuild its tourism sector as an effective way to increase national revenue, create employment, foster national cohesion and enhance the county’s international image.
A UNWTO mission led by Secretary-General Taleb Rifai made a first approach on the specific needs of the country during a workshop on technical cooperation in the capital, Tripoli.
Libya is counting on tourism to help rebuild the country in the light of its ongoing socio-political transformation. Libya´s Ministry of Tourism has drawn up an action plan focused on institutional capacity building to pave the way for sustainable tourism development and calls on the support and participation of its public and private sectors to help implement its plan.
“Achieving sustainable tourism is a propeller to create employment, diversify Libya´s national sources of income and promote our image as an attractive tourism destination domestically and abroad,” said the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Ikram Bash Imam.
“Revitalizing domestic tourism will likewise help foster national cohesion in this significant period of nationwide rebuilding,” she added.
During the visit, Mr. Rifai met the Vice President of the Libya National Council, Mr. Saleh Al Makhzoum, as well as high-ranking members of Libya´s private and public tourism sector.
“Libya is a prime setting for tourism development, being blessed with natural, cultural and archaeological assets, including five UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” said UNWTO Secretary-General. “Tourism is the right vehicle to contribute to the international repositioning of Libya whilst contributing to its sustainable economic development and job creation particularly among the youth,” he added.
Following a request by the Ministry of Tourism to assist in its tourism development efforts, a UNWTO delegation delivered a first approach during a two-day workshop, addressing issues such as institutional framework building, human resources development, sustainability and image building and marketing.
Four foreign nationals have been arrested in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on suspicion of being Christian missionaries, officials say.
A spokesman for Preventative Security said they were under investigation for printing and distributing tens of thousands of books about Christianity.
Proselytising was forbidden in the predominantly Muslim country, he added.
BBC says those arrested were an Egyptian, a South African, a South Korean and a Swede with joint United States citizenship.
The Preventative Security spokesman said diplomats had been allowed to visit them in detention, but would not say where they were being held.
“We are still holding interrogations and will hand them over to the Libyan intelligence authorities in a couple of days,” Hussein bin Hamid told the Reuters news agency.
Agents reportedly found the suspects in possession of 45,000 books about Christianity when they were arrested at a publishing house on Tuesday.
Another 25,000 were thought to have been distributed.
Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had to suspend its activities in eastern and central Libya after its offices in Benghazi and Misrata were attacked.