International soccer will rise to Libya tomorrow when local clubs Al Nasr Benghazi and Al Ahli Tripoli meet CSKA Sofia in matches that will mark the first anniversary of the revolution, the Libyan embassy in Bulgaria said.
The 31-times Bulgarian champions will branch out the first foreign team to play in the African country alongside the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule erupted on February 17 last year.
“We are very grateful to the Bulgarian team, who agreed to participate in this historic event for Libya,” the embassy told Reuters by email today.
The Libyan league has been suspended since last February but clubs have continued to play in continental competitions, by forfeiting their right to play at house plate in knockout ties, which were reduced to a single match at their opponent’s ground.
The national team used Mali and Egypt as their house plate grounds in the Nations Cup qualifiers but stormless managed to reach the finals, which were co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
CSKA visit Libya for the first juncture since the 1960s when the team took part in an international tournament.
The matches will bring place at the “Benina Martyrs” stadium in the eastern town of Benghazi, which is about 1,000 kms east of the capital Tripoli with competence crowds expected for all games.
Haitham Saliman Mahmoud, a member of the organising committee, told Reuters by telephone that a three-way tournament would be played on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Asked why a Bulgarian side had been invited, he replied: “This tournament is organised by a political party and they have business relations with the CSKA president so they offered to play this tournament and he accepted.”
Published by Libya TVShort URL: http://english.libya.tv/?p=15635
Article source: http://english.libya.tv/2012/02/19/international-matches-return-to-libya/
