Libya move fast to appoint Benzarti

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Oct 26, 2019. 10:30

Libya have appointed Tunisia national Faouzi Benzarti as their new head coach on a six-month deal as he returns to the post he previously held between 2007 and 2009.

Benzarti replaces Jalal Damja, who resigned this week after his entire technical team was sacked in the wake of a 3-1 aggregate loss to Tunisia in the qualifiers for the 2020 African Nations Championship.

“I thank the president of the LFF [Abdulhakim Alshalmani] and for showing confidence in me again,” the 69-year-old Benzarti said in a statement.

“I’ve already had experience in Libya and I consider it successful. I am optimistic; I came to work and promise to achieve victories.”

Libya are set to meet Tunisia again away at the start of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on November 16. They will then host Tanzania on neutral territory, most likely also Tunisia, in another game three days later.

Benzarti’s short-term deal will take him up to the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March.

The much-travelled Benzarti had had four previous spells in charge of Tunisia, the last in 2018, and was most recently with clubs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) and Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia).