By Muttaz Mohamed Ali.
Tripoli, 24 March 2014:
Libyan football is continuing to make its . . .[restrict]mark on the African stage. After last month’s triumph in winning the CAF Africa Nations Championship in South Africa, it celebrated another, albeit much smaller victory in Tunis on Friday. Ahly Benghazi beat the CAF titleholders Ahly Egypt 1-0 in the first round of the of the CAF Africa Champions League Cup.
Security concerns forced Ahly Benghazi to move what should have been a home match to the Tunisian capital’s Chedli Zouiten Stadium.
The result puts the team in a strong position to qualify for the mini-group stage if it does well in the return match, which will take place in Cairo on 29 March. “We’re only half way through, But we have the ambition and the will to go all the way,” Ahly Benghazi’s manager Wanis Khair told the Libya Herald by phone call from Tunis.
Throughout the game the Egyptians were unable to break through Bengahzi’s solid defence and man of the match, striker Edward Sadomba from Zimbabwe, destroyed the Ahly Egypt’s hopes in the 67th minute by scoring the only goal.
According to an Ahly Benghazi official, over 1,300 fans flew from Libya to Tunis to support their club. “For the sake of the fans who came from so far away to support us and for the sake of the sad capital of the revolution, Benghazi, we have to fight for one choice which is win” said Ahly Benghazi Wesam Albudi spoke to the TV sports channel Libya Alryadia.
The new president of Ahly Benghazi Aref Nayed, Libya’s ambassador to the UAE, was among the fans. “Let’s just celebrate the moment and leave that to when it happens” he said when asked about the return match.
Nayed comes to the club with great ambitions. He has just launched a huge construction project called “Heart of Benghazi” on club land in Gar Younis district. [/restrict]
