Ahli Tripoli Announces Victory Over Ahli Benghazi Despite Match Suspension

The club's statement read: "The referee blows his whistle and ends the match with a victory for Ahli by two goals to nil," which surprised followers, especially since the match was halted after strong protests from the technical and administrative staff of Ahli Benghazi.

The match, held at the "Arena Civica" stadium, saw Ahli Tripoli dominate from the start, with Rwandan player Jihad Bizimana opening the scoring, followed by star player Hamdou Elhouni adding the second goal.

Events escalated in the second half after Italian referee Simoni Souza refused to award a penalty to Ahli Benghazi following a tackle by defender Thierry Manzi on Algerian Zakaria Mansouri, and he declined to review the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

This sparked violent protests, which ended with the expulsion of the team's coach Nasser Al-Hadiri, who refused to leave the pitch, leading the referee to decide to suspend the match in the 72nd minute.

The refereeing crew left the pitch without announcing an official end, leaving the final result of the match pending a decision from the Competitions Committee of the Libyan Football Federation, which will hold a meeting to resolve the situation.

The Libyan sports community is closely watching the developments of this crisis, amid calls to calm the atmosphere and ensure the success of this historic tournament being held for the first time on European soil.