Benin captain Steve Mounie slams Libya after police officer punches Gernot Rohr

• The Republic of Benin faced off against Libya in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualification fixture
• The aftermath of the crunch fixture was marred by a Libyan police officer punching Benin coach Gernot Rohr
• The captain of the Benin Cheetahs, Steve Mounié, has spoken in the aftermath of the unsavoury incident involving the police

The captain of the Benin Republic team, Steve Mounié, has addressed his team’s unpleasant ordeal during their encounter with the Libyan national team.

The 30-year-old forward, who played a pivotal role in securing Benin’s first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification since 2019, recounted the distressing experience faced by him and his teammates upon their arrival in Libya.

Steve Mounie fights for the ball with Faisal Saleh during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification match between Benin and Libya. Image: Issouf Sanogo.
Source: Getty Images

Mounié described the disrespect his squad endured, expressing relief that they managed to leave Libya with only minor metaphorical "scratches," despite the challenging circumstances.

Benin captain speaks on Libya

Speaking in an interview as captured by media outlet, Joueurs Béninois, Mounie, torn between immense joy and deep frustration, shared his thoughts:

"It wasn't easy. It was really a war zone. This Libyan team, this country, and its supporters disrespected us from the very start of the match. They whistled during our national anthem, and we took it personally," said the Augsburg forward. "We wanted to leave this match with qualification. We achieved it, even though it was tough. Benin is heading to CAN 2025. We can be proud of what we have accomplished with this group of young players. I believe all Beninese people are celebrating today. We gave them something to be proud of, and I hope they continue to support us."

However, the aftermath of the qualification clash took a sour turn as Benin coach Gernot Rohr was punched by a Libyan police officer.

While the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to comment on the incident, it is worth noting that similar misconduct by the Libyan team led to sanctions following their treatment of the Nigerian team at the Al-Abraq airport. This history suggests that Libya could face yet another disciplinary action.

Libya blames Nigeria

Legit.ng in another report detailed that the Libyan team has blamed Nigeria for their failure to qualify for the AFCON tournament.

The report highlights that Libya accused the Super Eagles of intentionally losing to Rwanda to further diminish the Mediterranean Knights's chances of qualifying for the tournament.

Source: Legit.ng