The President of the Libyan Football Federation Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani has resigned just two days before they host Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
According to Libyan newspaper, Addresslibya, Al-Shalmani announced his resignation from his position in a meeting with members of the General Assembly attended by representatives of clubs on Sunday.
The development comes two days before The Mediterranean Knights host the Super Eagles in Benghazi, in the return leg of their back-to-back 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Libya suffered a 1-0 loss to Nigeria in the first leg of the tie in Uyo last Friday, a result which leaves the North Africans rooted to the bottom of Group D on one point from three matches.
Al-Shalmani expressed conviction in his achievements during his presidency but stressed that he does not want to be a cause of division in the sports community or the political scene in the country.
He referred to his achievements in the onternational, Arab and African Federations, expressing pride in what he achieved during that period.
Despite indicating his satisfaction with the efforts made during his presidency, Al-Shalmani made it clear that he does not want to be part of the failure of Libyan sports or be perceived as deepening the division between clubs and fans, according to the report .
Al-Shalmani was said to have resigned following increasing pressure from Libyan clubs, who had announced that they would not participate in the league next season after the federation’s decision to increase the number of Premier League teams to 36.
Tripoli Clubs Association also issued a statement withdrawing confidence in Al-Shalmani, while clubs in Benghazi, Al-Jabal, Al-Akhdar, and the southern region refused to attend the general assembly meeting in which Al-Shalmani made known his decision to step down.
