Libya moved to the top of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group after securing a historic 2-0 victory over Tunisia on Friday.
The result lifted Libya to four points from three matches, while Tunisia slipped to fourth place with two points.
Libya took the lead shortly before half-time after Tunisia defender Ali Maaloul was penalised for pulling down an opponent during a Libyan counter-attack. The referee awarded a penalty and Ali Youssef converted in the 44th minute.
Tunisia had protested for a handball and penalty in the 27th minute, but the referee declined to stop play.
The hosts also came close to taking the lead earlier in the match. In the 34th minute, Seifallah Letaief met a cross and struck powerfully, but Libya goalkeeper Ayman Al-Tayhar made the save and turned the ball behind for a corner.
Tunisia thought they had found an equaliser in the 58th minute. Ben Hammouda’s powerful effort was collected by Ben Slimane and turned into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Libya doubled their advantage two minutes later on the counter-attack. Seif Jaddour produced an excellent pass for Hamdou Elhouni, who struck firmly past Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen to make it 2-0.
Elhouni’s celebration, during which he removed his shirt, angered the Tunisia supporters inside the stadium.
The victory was significant in the group standings, but it also marked a first for Libya. They had never previously beaten Tunisia when playing away from home.
The two sides will meet again in Libya on 17 November, when the fourth round of qualifying takes place. That match could prove important in determining which team is best placed to secure qualification from the group.
Tunisia have a stronger record in the Africa Cup of Nations. They won the tournament once, in 2004 when they hosted the competition, and have reached the finals on 22 occasions.
Libya’s best performance came in 1982, when they reached the final on home soil before losing to Ghana on penalties.
