Libya kicked off its journey in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with a valuable away victory against Eswatini, winning 1-0 in Mbombela, South Africa, in the first round of Group Four competitions.
Ahmed Kraoua, a striker from Al-Ahli Tripoli, scored the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute.
With three points, Libya topped the group, leading by two points ahead of Angola and Cape Verde, both of whom drew 1-1 on Thursday. Cameroon, a strong contender for a spot in the finals, will play against Mauritius later.
The match took place in South Africa due to Eswatini's stadiums not meeting international standards.
Seventeen teams are playing their home matches away from their own grounds, either for the same reason or due to safety concerns. Apart from Eswatini, these teams include Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Lesotho, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Libya will face a tough challenge at home next Tuesday against Cameroon in the second round, while Eswatini will play against Cape Verde, and Mauritius will face Angola on the same day.
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