African football — Tripoli derby abandoned after fans storm the pitch in Libya; referee injured, teams flee
The Libyan Premier League match between Al Ahly Tripoli and Al Ittihad was suspended in the first half after fans stormed the pitch on Wednesday.
The game, called the Tripoli derby, had fans run onto the ground in the 39th minute, minutes after Noufel Zerhouni opened the scoring in the 38th minute from a free-kick. According to Libyan outlet, Alwasat, the Moroccan's celebration in front of the opposing fans sparked the outrage, which eventually led to physical confrontations on the field.
Al Ittihad's team bus was torched while the referee, Fábio José Costa from Portugal, was injured.
The Associated Press reported that players and football officials fled the stadium amid a fan disturbance outside the facility.
Footage circuited online showed clashes between fans and security forces in and around the stadium. Meanwhile, Al-Ahly blamed what it called a 'provocative act' by one of Al-Ittihad players for the disturbance.
It said in a statement that security forces used 'excessive force and live fire' against fans at the club's headquarters.
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