Preliminary
round, 1st leg, focus match
(April 9th, Kickoff time
1605 GMT) Libya
- Mali 3:0 (final)
Before the match:
The probably most exciting
matchup.
Mali, one of the
more talented West African teams with an impressive youth record recently
and some good results now and then. They were unlucky not to qualify for
the last African Cup Of Nations and look like a team with some future.
The are unlucky again that they have to play Libya.
Libya had been banned
from the African competitions because of the now lifted UN-sanctions. It
is their return to the big stage. But Libya is especially strong at home
in front of their fanatic fans and has been helped by the Ghaddafi-Maradona
connection: Their coach is the former Argentinian world cup coach Dr. Carlos
Bilardo. A real 50:50 thriller with both teams normally deserving a place
on second round.
1st half:
a huge and anthusiastic
crowd creates real World Cup atmosophere...
-('2) first excitement after
a Libyan player manages a cross from the right hand side against 3 players
but it is cleared for a corner
-('4) Libya again along
the right hand side: this time the cross finds a player who heads it to
#11 who is unmarked and scorews from short range. A Mali defender seems
closer to the goalline - so no offside - 1:0
Mali answer with attacks
- Libya lure for possible counter attacks
-('12) The ground which
consists of grass pieces outrolled for this match, stops a promising Libyan
counter attack
-('13) Libyan #14 is conspicious
with dribblings and through ball attempts
-('14) Mali: A distance
shot by #16 (Mohamed Diarra?) is saved without problem by the Libyan keeper
-('15) It is Libya #22 again
with a cross from right wing (him and sometimes #20 show up here), a Mali
defender malcalculates the ball and helps himself by handball 18 meters
in front of the goal. But the free kick is stopped by the wall.
The Libyan attacks are
very fast, sometimes initialised by fast executed free kicks
-('19) A Mali player is
unmarked but the offside whistle goes. TIt seems doubtful but the player
had targeted wide anyway.
-('21) Libya: Another fast
counter attack by #11 who passes to #9 who shoots far wide
Libya plays a nice blend
of individual skill and fast, room-consuming passing sequences
-('32) Mali manage to put
some pressure upon the hosts now
-('35) Libya: it is #11
again, who starts an attack but #9 is blocked for a corner
-('40) Libya: #9 wins against
a defender but his diagonal attempt from the right hand side is saved
-('44) Mali: a free kick
from 25 meters gets defelected wide
Halftime 1:0
Libya with a nice blend
of style and dangerous fast counter attacks. The difficult ground obsructed
more their own game than the one of Mali. During the first half Mali gained
more control but could not threaten the hosts goal. Libya lost some power
towards the end of the half. If they can refocus they might create a difficult
task for their opponents for the 2nd leg.
2nd half:
Libya with a very defensive
approach for a home team. This has made the crowd a bit silent.
-('56) out of nothing
the second goal: a long ball into the penalty area and #9, unmarked, gets
it passed the keeper who looks a bit intimidated by the relatively high
foot of the striker- 2:0
Mali answer with attacks
like after the first goal, but the hosts have gained a boost from the goal
as well. The match now more lively than in the first 10 minutes of the
half.
-('65) A Libyan player who
had been treated for injury stops (irritates) a Mali attack by running
onto the field from the ground line. He receives a yellow card and Mali
is awarded a free kick from the corner of the penalty area on the ground
line. But the sharp shot inside is defended by the Libyans.
-('70) Mali with a half
chance after a corner but a poor finishing
-('73) Libya: with a fast
and good looking passing attack but a diagonal shot is saved by the Mali
keeper
-('75) some fireworks lands
on the field near two players (one of each team)
-('76) Mali bring on their
second substitute
-('77) Libyan players already
look like they start to have cramps from running
the match has been delayed
by some injury breaks now
too much hectic in the Mali
efforts
-('82) after a foul on
a Libyan player the referee let play on the advantage, Mali look unconcentrated
and Libya can run the counter attack. From a relatively less dangerous
position #10 (?) can score only because the Mali keeper had left his goal
probably too early - 3:0, an attack in which the Mali defence looked odd
-('88) Libya with another
opportunity
Libya surprisingly well
in one against one situations throughout the match
-('90) a desperate long
ball attack by Mali is intercepted by the alert Libyan keeper
-('injury time) the crowd
makes giant noise, asking for the final whistle and players have difficulties
hearing the referee, after 4 minutes injury time the match is over
Final 3:0
Mali with no impact against
a good, but not sensational Libyan team. The unnecessary second half
goals (especially the third one) might prove as a too big deficit for the
West Africans in the second leg. This return match should give more indications
on how strong Libya really is.
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