Libya keep dream alive with draw amid downpour

Libya kept alive hopes of an African Nations Cup finals fairytale by holding Zambia to a 2-2 draw in their Group A match last night.

Ahmed Saad scored twice for the north Africans, who overcame the obstacle of last year’s civil war to qualify for the tournament being co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It was the first point for Libya, who must now beat Senegal in their final match at the weekend to have any chance of progressing to the last eight. Libya lost to Equatorial Guinea in last Saturday’s opening game.

Zambia had to twice fight back in a game delayed by more than an hour because of a torrential downpour that left the pitch virtually unplayable.

Workers attempted to clear puddles of water before kick off but even then the two sides battled through a punishing 90 minutes in a mud bath.

Meanwhile, Morocco goalkeeper Issam Badda was diagnosed with a benign form of malaria at the tournament and received a blood transfusion at a hospital.

Team doctor Hefti Abderrazak said Badda was released from the Libreville hospital following the transfusion. The reserve keeper was recovering at the team hotel and still receiving treatment for Type 3 malaria, he added.

Abderrazak said the Moroccan players were all taking malaria medication for the tournament in the central African country, where the disease is prevalent. Arsenal forward Marouane Chamakh was also recovering after picking up a stomach illness.

It was unclear if both players would be well enough for Morocco’s must-win game against co-host Gabon tomorrow.

Gerets’ team fell to a surprise 2-1 loss to Tunisia in their opener on Monday at Libreville’s Stade de l’Amitie, making the match against the home team critical to their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals. Abderrazak said both players would probably return to training today but that appears to be optimistic – particularly for Badda. Morocco still have first-choice keeper Nadir Lamyaghri and Mohamed Amsif, however.

There are about 216 million cases of malaria worldwide each year, 81 percent of those in Africa. Gabon’s sweltering temperatures and equatorial climate are part of the reason for the disease’s presence.