How Benin Republic Team and Coach Brutally Attacked by Libyan Fans After Goalless Draw against Libyan
The Benin Republic national football team secured their place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a goalless draw against Libya, but the result sparked violent reactions from Libyan supporters. After the match, enraged fans attacked the Benin team with stones and bottles, and even Libyan police officers contributed to the chaos by using batons on players and officials.
The incident left a lasting impression on Gernot Rohr, the head coach of Benin, who expressed shock at the hostile treatment. Rohr, a former coach of Nigeria’s national team, shared his trauma over the event, revealing that even the team’s Tunisian assistant coach was not spared from the violence. In an interview with Canal Plus, Rohr recounted the shocking events: “We’ve never experienced anything like this in football. Libya’s behavior was completely unfair. After the game, we were pelted with stones while in the players’ area.”
The match, which took place in Tripoli, was crucial for both teams as they competed for the second qualification spot in Group D for the 2025 AFCON. With Nigeria already secured a place, the draw meant that Benin Republic would claim the second slot, much to the dismay of the Libyan supporters.
The aggression continued after the match when the team’s bus was attacked. Rohr described how they thought they would be safe once police arrived, but instead, officers boarded the bus and began beating the players and staff. “Even our Tunisian assistant was beaten along with everyone else. Eventually, we had no choice but to head straight to the airport to board the flight the Benin embassy had arranged,” he said.
This incident adds to a growing list of controversial events involving Libya’s treatment of visiting teams. In previous instances, foreign teams participating in club tournaments have reported hostile conditions. Earlier this month, Libya was fined $50,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a highly controversial incident involving Nigeria’s Super Eagles. The team was detained at the airport for over 15 hours without food or water, a situation that led to CAF awarding Nigeria a 3-0 victory and three points in the World Cup qualifiers.
The violence directed at the Benin team highlights ongoing concerns over safety and fair play in Libyan football.
