The Benin Football Federation would in the coming days file a formal protest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Libya following the wanton attack on its national team, The Cheetahs, after their gusty goalless draw in Monday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights in Tripoli.
The result was enough for the Beninese side to secure the second Group D ticket for the 2025 AFCON to be hosted in Morocco ahead of both Rwanda and Libya. It would be The Cheetahs’ first qualification for the prestigious continental tournament since their last appearance at the 2019 fiesta in Egypt.
But the unruly Libyan fans did not allow the coach Gernot Rohr-led side celebrate their AFCON qualification in style as they hurled missiles on the players soon after the match at the Tripoli National Stadium.
As if that was not enough, some Libyan security men reportedly descended on the team’s bus on their way out of the stadium leaving German coach Gernot Rohr and few others with injuries.
“After the game tension was high and the security advised our delegation to wait in the dressing room for some hours in order to prevent them being attacked by the hostile Libyan fans,” a decent source on the Beninese contingent to Tripoli told NationSports. “But when our players and staff members were in the bus some Libyan police men entered and beat coach Gernot, our Italian keeper trainer and the our hired Tunisian security officers.
“They wounded all of them,” he added.
As the Beninese contingent touched down in Cotonou last night, NationSports gathered that the FBF will be sending its protest to the continental soccer ruling body to guide against such barbaric behaviour of the Libyans in the future.
“Of course a formal complaints will be sent to CAF because the Libyans cannot be allowed to go away with this,” experienced journalist, Elvis Dedjinou Zanclan stated matter-of-factly.“ Right now the whole delegation is on their way back to Cotonou. The plane will land by 5pm.The FA will take further action later.”
Recall that Libya were recently ducked three points and slapped with 50,000 USD fine by the CAF Disciplinary Board for the ill treatment meted to the Super Eagles contingent on their way to the botched Matchday Five tie in Benghazi.
