By James Crook

164607208April 10 - Libya is planning to build a new 60,000-seater stadium in capital city Tripoli in time to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Sports Minister Abdussalam Guaila has announced, with another smaller 23,000-capacity stadium to be located in Misrata also in the pipeline.


Matches are also due to take place in Benghazi, where another new stadium could be constructed.

Last month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) allowed the country to host football tournaments once more having imposed a ban in 2011 in the aftermath of the civil war.

Libyan club side Al Nasr were permitted to stage an African Confederation Cup game against Morocco's Royal Armed Forces in Benghazi last week, following a CAF inspection; the first competitive international game to be held in the country for two years.

However, it is still to be decided whether world governing body FIFA will allow the Libyan national team to host their matches against Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo in June on home turf.

Libya had been scheduled to host this year's Africa Cup of Nations, but the country had to swap hosting rights with South Africa - who held the rights to host the event in 2017 - due to ongoing security fears.

165246274 1One of the currently under-construction stadiums in Tripoli which will be used for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Libya

Libya has claimed that it will use all its resources to ensure that it keeps the right to host the event, which should be held in January 2017, as it marks a major opportunity for the country to bring in vital income and show potential investors that normality has been restored in the nation.

"It's not only a sports event but an opportunity to move on from revolution to reconstruction of the state," said Guaila.

Libya last held the event in 1982, when they were defeated on penalties by Ghana in the final after drawing 1-1 in normal time.

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