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Libya: Ban on hosting matches could be lifted after FIFA’s visit
Libya: Fifa visits and the prospect of lifting the ban on hosting matches is on the cards
FIFA’s director of African and Caribbean member associations, Veron Mosengo-Omba is in Tripoli, Libya on a two-day visit to discuss and get first-hand experience of how football has developed in Libya since the 2011 ban. The civil war which constituted the death of President Muammar Gaddafi attributed to the unrest and since then the Libyan national team have played home international matches in countries such as Mali, Egypt, and Tunisia over the past five years. Club football was not an exception as the clubs had to use neutral venues for their matches.
The visit by Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has increased hopes that the visit by Mosengo-Omba will provide leeway for the North African to get approval to host international matches in their backyard once more.
“The delegation will check the security situation in Libya so it can report back positively to Fifa and help lift the stadium ban that has been imposed since 2013,” the statement continued.”
Earlier on, the FIFA director had not been shy to declare the intention of his visit:
“It is not me who will take the decision, but I will report because I’m the envy of the Fifa president. I will address the report of my visit to him, and then the competent body of Fifa will decide how and when to bring international matches in Libya”
Despite the not so ideal conditions, the Mediterranean Knights of Libya qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and won their first senior African title in the form of the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN). They finished fourth in 2018 CHAN finals in Morocco.