Libya plays Tunisia in Group A 2018 World Cup qualifiers
The Libyan national team will look to bounce back from a heavy opening defeat in Group A of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers when they host Tunisia in Algiers tonight. The match will be staged at the Omar Hamadi Stadium.
The Mediterranean Knights fell to a 4-0 loss away to DR Congo in their group opener on October 8, a result which saw Javier Clemente dismissed from his post manager and former national team player Jalal Damja installed in his stead.
The heavy loss confirmed Libya’s status as major underdogs in the group, but Damja and the Knights can reject that tag if they are able to defeat Tunisia – something they have managed five times in 16 matches against their fellow North Africans, according to FIFA’s statistics.
As for the Carthage Eagles, they enjoyed a relatively straightforward 2-0 home win over Guinea on October 9 to get their Group A campaign off to a fine start. Aymen Abdennour and Anis Ben-Hatira netted the goals for Henryk Kasperczak’s side.
“We were so good in the first period, but we took more opportunities after the break. We controlled the game. Anis Ben-Hatira—our wild card—found an opportunity to score a goal,” said Kasperczak, who will be looking for a repeat performance in neutral Algeria, with Libya’s continuing political turmoil precluding them from hosting such matches on home soil.
Ahead of a double-header against DRC in August and September next year, this is a must-win clash for Tunisia as they chase a fifth appearance at the World Cup finals.
The other Group A match sees Guinea host DRC at the September 28 Stadium in Conakry on Sunday.
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