Ghana coach Desmond Ofei has backed his side to overcome Libya in their upcoming two-legged tie, insisting the Black Meteors have the determination and quality to end the country’s long absence from Olympic football.
The two teams are preparing to meet in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, with the first leg scheduled for 9 November and the return fixture set for 17 November.
Ofei believes Ghana have what it takes to progress at Libya’s expense, with the team targeting a place at the Olympic Games for the first time since their appearance at Athens 2004.
Speaking about the challenge ahead, the Ghana coach said his players were determined to restore the country’s reputation in African football and take an important step towards securing qualification.
His confidence comes as both teams prepare for what promises to be a significant test in their respective Olympic qualification campaigns.
Ofei backs Ghana to overcome Libya
The Ghana coach has made it clear that his immediate priority is to secure victory over Libya and keep the country’s hopes of returning to the Olympic stage alive.
Ofei believes the players are sufficiently motivated for the encounter and are aware of the importance of the opportunity before them.
In comments reported by News Ghana, he said: “I am sure of achieving victory over the Libyan Olympic team, because we feel that the time has come to end this long absence. Our preparations are continuing strongly and the players are burning with desire to prove that Ghana is still a land of talent, and one of the footballing greats in Africa.”
The coach also acknowledged the difficulty of the assignment but insisted that his team would approach the contest with the determination required to secure progress.
“We have a tough match ahead of us against Libya, and we will give our all to secure the qualification spot in March 2027. We will face any opponent, and we will be fully prepared to snatch the qualifying ticket.”
Ghana have not featured in the Olympic football tournament since the 2004 edition in Athens, making the current qualifying campaign particularly important for the national team.
Ofei and his players will therefore be hoping to turn their confidence into results when they face the Libyan side.
Libya arrive after impressive victory over Togo
Libya will enter the tie with encouragement from their performance in the opening round, where they secured qualification at the expense of Togo.
The Libyan Olympic team progressed with a 4-1 aggregate victory after producing a strong performance across the two encounters.
Their campaign began with a 1-1 draw away from home in Lome, leaving the contest finely balanced ahead of the return fixture.
However, Libya delivered a convincing response in the second leg at Misrata International Stadium, recording a 3-0 victory in front of their supporters to complete the job.
That result secured their place in the next round, where they will now face Ghana for a place in the final qualifying stage.
Unlike Libya, the Black Meteors did not have to participate in the preliminary round and will begin their qualifying campaign directly against the North African side.
Ghana and Libya battle for place in final qualifying round
The two-legged encounter will determine which country advances to the final stage of the qualification process.
The winner will face either Equatorial Guinea or Niger in the decisive round, scheduled to take place between 22 and 30 March 2027.
The qualification campaign will produce seven teams to join host nation Egypt at the African finals, which will feature eight countries.
Those eight teams will compete for the available places at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
For Ghana, overcoming Libya would represent an important first step towards ending a 24-year absence from Olympic football.
Ofei has already made his intentions clear, expressing confidence in his players and their ability to handle the challenge.
However, Libya’s convincing elimination of Togo suggests that Ghana will face a difficult opponent, with both sides knowing that their performances over the two matches will determine who remains in contention for a place at the continental finals.
