2023 Africa Cup: Libya targets victory against Botswana
Libya will square off with Botswana in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group J match at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi on Wednesday.
The kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
The Mediterranean Knights are banking on their home ground advantage as they look to start their qualifying campaign on a winning note having participated in three Afcon finals (1982, 2006 and 2012).
The 1982 Afcon runners-up saw their two-match unbeaten run come to an end when they lost 2-0 to Mauritania in a friendly match on March 29 and they now have a new coach in Corentin Martins.
The French tactician has promised that Libya will fight until the end in the qualifiers, but he indicated that every game will be different as Group J also features Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea.
“It will not be easy, but we will fight right to the end to try and qualify. Every campaign and every match is different, there is a difference between the past and upcoming competitions,” Martins said.
He said; “Now Libya is just like Tunisia, we both have new coaches at this stage. We are setting a program for these important games – I know that time is short, but it won’t be a problem for us.”
Meanwhile, Botswana are considered to be the underdogs in Group J, but they will be hoping to defy the odds and qualify for the Afcon finals for the second time having participated in the 2012 event.
The Zebras are coming into this match having secured a 1-0 win over Eswatini in a practice match on Friday, but prior to that, they had failed to win their last two matches at the 2021 COSAFA Cup.
Mogomotsi Mpote, the Botswana head coach, hailed Libya as a good team, but he made it clear that they will be looking to impose themselves against the North African side.
“Libya, like us, were not at Afcon but they are a very good team and they have traditionally been a very difficult customer. Their players play mostly in Europe, which tells you they have quality in their team.
“We will leave no stone unturned; we have a dynamic team at the moment, the boys I called in the last international window are determined. As a group, we need to work together and for each other. We are not going to make up the numbers, we will impose ourselves,”Mpote said.
This will be the fourth meeting between Libya and Botswana across all competitions.
Libya have the edge over Botswana having won one game, while two matches ended in a draw. Their last meeting ended in a 1-1 draw in a friendly match in May 2007.
SuperSport/Mercy Chukwudiebere
