Libya secured a spot in the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion during their last group match against Congo in Group C of the African Nations Championship in South Africa. Despite trailing 2-0, the Knights of the Mediterranean staged a remarkable comeback.
Sebastien Mingué, the coach of the Red Devils, expressed surprise at the turn of events. “We have been leading 2-0 since the start of the second half. We are a little surprised. We play against the wind. We go backward. We let them play. We concede their first goal and behind we don’t know how to keep the ball. There are a handful of minutes left to play. After coming back to 2-1, they scored a killer goal just before the final whistle, that of failure for us, of qualification for them. We asked our players to be generous, and they didn’t know how to manage the last quarter of an hour. The Libyans may have snatched qualification without looking for it,” he stated on the CAF website.
In contrast, Javier Clement, the Libyan coach, attributed their success to luck. “I only have one word to say to you. Luck allowed us to pass the first round. It’s incredible but it’s football. The Congolese managed the first period well, they weighed on our defense. When they led 2-0, I decided to bring in attacking players. It paid off. So much the better. My team is young, inexperienced, deprived of national competition for around three years. Of course, I’m happy for them. It’s a great satisfaction for a wandering selection,” he remarked.
