Libya beat Tunisia in Sfax as first qualifying win reshapes Group H

Libya won 2–0 away to Tunisia at Stade Taieb Mhiri in Sfax on Friday, 13 November 2026, earning their first victory in Group H of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. ESPN’s completed match record places the breakthrough at a 44th-minute penalty and the second goal in the 62nd minute.

Possession did not become enough shots on target

Tunisia had 62.9% of possession and attempted 13 shots to Libya’s ten, according to the match statistics. The visitors nevertheless led four to two in attempts on target. Tunisia also won ten corners against two but finished without a goal.

The contrast shows why possession and attacking volume should be read alongside accuracy rather than treated as proof of superiority. Those figures do not describe every passage of play, but they establish that Tunisia’s larger share of the ball produced fewer efforts on target. The goal before the interval also forced the hosts to chase the game, before the second increased the deficit with roughly half an hour of normal time remaining.

A changed contest for the available place

Libya moved from one point to four, while Tunisia remained on two after two draws and a defeat in the updated group table. Libya now lead their opponents by two points, having started the evening one behind. Uganda and Botswana are scheduled to complete this round on 14 November.

Under CAF’s rules for groups containing a co-host, Uganda qualify automatically and the highest-ranked other side takes the available place. Libya have therefore strengthened their position without securing qualification. The return fixture on 17 November awards separate group points, not an aggregate knockout result; two further rounds in March 2027 remain on the calendar.

For the qualification background, see our pre-match Tunisia–Libya guide. You can also follow the match details and AFCON qualifying standings.

An archival Tunisia player during the Africa Cup of Nations match against Mali on 12 January 2022, not the current Libya fixture. Image credit: Happiraphael — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.