PARIS (AFP) – The African Zone 2014 World Cup qualifier between Libya and Togo set to take place on Friday was switched on Monday from Benina to the capital Tripoli, football’s world governing body FIFA announced.
The decision was taken after 31 people were killed and 100 wounded in clashes involving former rebels, who helped to topple former dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and demonstrators in the nearby city of Benghazi on Saturday.
Togolese captain Alaixys Romao had expressed his surprise in L’Equipe newspaper on Monday that the match was still planned for Benina which is around 10 kilometres from Benghazi.
“There were more than 30 deaths and they want to send us there? We are under the impression we are being thrown into the lion’s den.”
Last Friday Tripoli played host to their first official game in over two years with the World Cup qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo, which ended 0-0, went off without incident.
The Togo squad have bad memories of troublespots as their team coach was attacked by gunmen on the eve of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Angola.
Two members of the entourage as well as their Angolan bus driver were killed and several players were wounded.
The clashes in Benghazi flared after dozens of demonstrators, some armed, tried to force the powerful “Shield of Libya” brigade from its barracks in Benghazi.
They encircled the headquarters and called on regular security forces to step in, saying they wanted rid of armed militias in the city.
The Shield of Libya is mostly made up of rebels who battled Kadhafi in 2011, and it is formally under defence ministry control.