Watch and judge for yourself: refereeing incident sparks controversy in the Tunisia v Libya match
What happened?
A refereeing call in the dying seconds of Saturday's 1-1 draw between the Tunisia and Libya Under-20 sides, in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations at youth level, sparked fury in the Libyan camp. A counter-attack that nearly delivered the winner was ruled out for offside. The decision caused huge controversy, even though it was correct under the laws of the game.
During a lightning counter-attack in stoppage time, the assistant referee flagged the Libyan forward offside. Tunisia goalkeeper Salim Bousaker had pushed up into the opposition box for a corner, as the Eagles of Carthage threw bodies forward in a desperate bid to snatch a goal that might have kept their qualification hopes alive.
Libya won the ball back and broke clear, their players convinced they held a huge numerical advantage, four against one. Up went the assistant's flag for offside. The call triggered furious protests, with several Libyan players and members of the technical staff charging towards the referee.
For all the anger, the decision matched the laws of the International Football Association Board. The Libyan forward had strayed about a metre beyond the halfway line, and the only Tunisian behind him was Bousaker, who had advanced into the opposition box to take the corner. That left the forward offside the moment the ball reached him.
The laws state that offside applies if any part of a player's head, body or legs is in the opponent's half, excluding the halfway line, and nearer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent, factoring in interference with play.
One more Tunisian behind the forward, or the ball played before he crossed the halfway line, would have been enough to keep him onside.
Dhirar Brik opened the scoring for Tunisia in the 24th minute before Moussa Ibrahim levelled for Libya in the 64th. The 1-1 result ended Tunisia's hopes of chasing the qualifying spot. Libya, meanwhile, threw away a precious chance at all three points, a win that would have handed them real hope ahead of their final match against Morocco on Tuesday.
