Mounting Pressure After Disappointing Results
A former Libyan international has launched a strong critique of Aliou Cissé, describing the current head coach of the Libya national football team as a “mercenary” and questioning his impact since taking charge.
Adel Al-Khamisi, who previously played for Al-Madina Club and now works as a technical analyst, said the national team’s situation has deteriorated over the past year. His comments come amid a period of disappointing performances and missed qualification targets.
Cisse, appointed in March 2025, has overseen a challenging run, with Libya failing to secure a place at both the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2025 Arab Cup. During his tenure, the team has also dropped in the FIFA rankings, currently sitting 112th globally.
Concerns Over Performance and Direction
The team’s recent form has added to concerns. During the last international break, Libya held a training camp in Morocco where they played two friendly matches but did not register a victory. They drew 0-0 with Niger and 2-2 with Liberia, results that did little to reassure supporters.
Al-Khamisi argued that the team’s decline reflects deeper structural issues, including what he described as a lack of planning and organisation.
Speaking to Libyan channel “Al-Wasat”, he said: “Unfortunately, things within the national team are going from bad to worse due to the chaos, lack of planning, and randomness that have imposed themselves during the past period, as the Libyan national team has suffered enough successive failures.”
Questions Over Squad Selection
A central part of Al-Khamisi’s criticism focused on team selection. He claimed that Cisse does not closely follow domestic league matches and fails to consistently choose in-form players.
He added: “Aliou Cisse does not follow the Libyan Premier League football matches and unfortunately does not select the players who excel in the tournament. The list he selects is never stable and is constantly changing, and he is not responsible for these selections.”
The remarks suggest internal uncertainty around squad decisions, further fuelling dissatisfaction among observers.
Doubts About Leadership and Long-Term Vision
Al-Khamisi also questioned Cisse’s authority within the squad and his broader vision for the development of Libyan football.
He stated: “Aliou Cisse has a weak personality with the players. Contracting him to lead the national team technically was not expected, and what he achieved with his country’s national team, the Lions of Teranga, came thanks to the golden generation of Senegalese football. He has been with us for more than a year and he does not have a real project to develop Libyan football so far.”
These comments reflect wider frustration over the perceived lack of progress since Cisse’s appointment.
Concerns Over Future Prospects
Looking ahead, Al-Khamisi expressed pessimism about Libya’s chances of qualifying for future tournaments, particularly the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
He concluded: “In this way, the Libyan public should completely forget about qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals. Football today is a real work project for development and progress, and today we have seen teams that were unknown on the football map in the African continent that now have a great presence and succeed in qualifying for African championships.”
A Critical Moment for Libyan Football
Libya now faces significant challenges as it seeks to rebuild and return to continental competition, having missed the last seven editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
With criticism intensifying and results yet to improve, the coming period may prove decisive for both Cisse’s tenure and the future direction of the national team.
