Is the Eagles' dream over? Two unanswered goals lead Libya to a historic win over Tunisia

Libya secured a precious 2-0 victory over Tunisia on Friday in the third round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The result dropped Tunisia to fourth in the group on two points, while Libya climbed temporarily to the summit with four.

Tunisia's players appealed for a handball and a penalty in the 27th minute, but the referee waved play on.

Seven minutes later the Eagles of Carthage went close. Saifeddine Latif met a cross and fired in powerfully, only for goalkeeper Aymen Al-Tihar to tip it behind for a corner.

Veteran Tunisia left-back Ali Maaloul then hauled down a Libyan player during a counterattack, dragging him to the ground. The referee pointed to the spot, and Ali Youssef tucked away the opener in the 44th minute.

Tunisia nearly levelled in the 58th minute. Ben Hammouda struck a fierce shot that Ben Slimane bundled over the line, but the flag went up for offside and the goal was chalked off.

Libya doubled their lead in the 60th minute on the break. Seif Jadour slipped a superb pass to Hamdou El-Houni, who lashed the ball past Aymen Dahmane to make it 2-0.

El-Houni then whipped off his shirt in celebration, infuriating the Tunisian fans in the stadium.

The two sides carry contrasting histories in the Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia were crowned champions once, in 2004, as hosts, and have reached the finals on 22 occasions. Libya's finest hour came in 1982, when they reached the final and lost to Ghana on penalties.

This Libyan victory means more than its weight in the group table. It is a historic first, as they had never beaten Tunisia away from home.

Both teams meet again on 17 November in Libya, in the fourth round. That clash could go a long way to deciding who is best placed to seal the group's qualification ticket.