AFCON 2023 Q: Libya end qualifiers campaign with draw against Equatorial Guinea

Libya drew Equatorial Guinea 1-1 on Wednesday at Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi as part of the final round qualification matches for African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which is set to be held in Ivory Coast.

It was Equatorial Guinea who took the lead soon after the hour mark as Jose Elo Ayeto got his name on the scoreboard. After a ball was floated into the danger zone from a corner , the defender managed to flick the ball into the back of the net while facing the opposite direction.

In not backing down, the host nation began turning the screws and actively searched for an equalizer after conceding. Their moment eventually came in the 80th minute as Taqtaq Husain added his name to the goal scorer’s sheet. With a pin-point cross played into the area from a corner, the lanky attacker’s towering header proved to be too much for Jesus Owono in goal.

With the draw, Libya got only four points at the bottom of Group J, while Equatorial Guinea got 13 points and temporarily topped the Group ahead of Tunisia which had 10 points.

Libya’s team was made up primarily from youngesters led by a Libyan coach, Salim Al-Jalali.

The team disqualified for the upcoming AFCON, while Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia went through.