By Mark Baber
February 24 – President of the Libyan Football Federation (LFF), Anwar Al-Tishani has warned the country risks being excluded from international football if clubs do not rise to the challenge of resuming domestic league action.
As Libya struggles with rival governments, numerous militia factions and a large-scale ISIS insurgency, Anwar Al-Tishani, president of the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) told radio listeners the LFF had done what it could to ensure the new season could kick off in March, but it was now up to the clubs, who have been divided into eastern and western groups “to ease the cost of transportation” as to whether domestic football would resume.
According to Al-Tishani a group of eastern clubs are insisting on receiving a financial support before they starting to play in the League and the situation is such that: “All of the clubs must assume responsibility as the African Football Federation warned that Libyan football clubs would be banned from participating in its competitions if there were not any Libyan domestic competitions, and thus they will be sanctioned.”
The LFF recently increased the number of clubs in the top flight from 16 to 21 in order to enable the regional grouping of sides into east and west – with Al-Mahala, Abi Al-Ashar, Al-Sharara, Al-Taawun, and Shabab Al-Jabal clubs promoted.
Al-Tishani emphasised that without regular domestic football, the national Libyan team would suffer, depriving it of the opportunity of taking part in the qualifiers of the African Cup or World Cup.
According to Al-Tishani a press conference to inform the public about the reasons behind the absence of domestic league football will be held in the coming days, whilst a General Assembly of the 120 clubs in the LFF will be held on April 06 to try and find a way of resuming League football.
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