Libya vs Botswana Predictions - Hosts tipped to win AFCON qualifier

John Eastwood

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Last updated: 33 minutes ago

John Eastwood 33 minutes ago

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Libya is unbeaten in their last six matches and strong at home.
Botswana suffered recent defeats and are in a coaching transition.
Prediction: Libya likely to win as Botswana continues to struggle.

Libya to win AFCON qualifier (Getty Images)

Libya vs Botswana Predictions

Libya host Botswana on Thursday at 18:00 SAST as the two countries begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaigns.

Libya vs Botswana Predictions
Head to Head
Libya Form
Botswana Form
Team News

Libya have been difficult to beat over the past year and will be looking to make home advantage count against a Botswana side that has struggled for results.

Botswana did end a poor run with victory over Malawi in March, but their recent record makes Libya the stronger selection. Libya to win is the tip.

Libya are unbeaten in their last six matches in 90 minutes.
Libya have conceded just two goals in their last four matches.
Libya have won three of their six previous meetings with Botswana.
Botswana have lost four of their last five matches.
Botswana failed to score in four consecutive matches before beating Malawi in March.
Botswana have lost on their last two visits to Libya.

Head to Head

Libya and Botswana have met six times, with Libya winning three matches and Botswana one, while two have ended in draws.

The countries were drawn together during qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, with Libya winning 1–0 at home before Botswana recorded a 1–0 victory in the return fixture.

Their most recent meeting was a friendly in August 2024, which Libya won 1–0 in Tripoli.

Libya Form

Libya have been difficult to beat in recent matches, although draws have been a regular feature.

They ended their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3–3 draw against Cape Verde before playing out a goalless draw away to Mauritius.

A FIFA Arab Cup qualifier against Palestine also finished 0–0 in November, with Libya eventually losing the resulting penalty shootout.

Libya returned to action in March with another goalless draw against Niger before drawing 2–2 away to Liberia four days later.

They now begin their AFCON qualifying campaign under Youssoupha Dabo, who was appointed as head coach in July.

Botswana Form

Botswana endured a difficult end to 2025, including three defeats at the Africa Cup of Nations.

They lost 3–0 to Senegal before going down 1–0 against Benin and 3–0 against DR Congo, finishing the tournament without a point or a goal.

Botswana's first match of 2026 brought another 3–0 defeat, this time against Zimbabwe in March.

They did respond three days later with a 1–0 victory over Malawi, ending a run of four consecutive defeats and giving them their first win since March 2025.

Team News

Libya: New coach Youssoupha Dabo has selected a 30-man squad for the opening qualifiers, with 29 of the players based in the Libyan domestic league. Osama Al-Shuraimi of Club Africain is the only foreign-based player included. Several established players have been left out, including Al-Mu’tasim Al-Musrati, Mohamed Soula, Mu’ayyad Al-Lafi and Mohamed Al-Tabbal.

Botswana: Botswana enter the qualifiers during a period of change after Morena Ramoreboli left his position as head coach earlier this month to join the South African national team's technical staff. The Botswana Football Association said following his departure that it was working to appoint a replacement ahead of the matches against Libya and Tunisia.

Confidence: High on H2H and the results used above. High on Libya's squad information. Lower on Botswana's current coaching situation, because I haven't found a sufficiently reliable report from the last few days confirming who will actually take charge tomorrow. I've therefore stopped at the confirmed fact that Ramoreboli left and the BFA was seeking a replacement, rather than guessing who is coaching them.

Verdict

Libya v Botswana

Libya will be confident they can take the three points against a Botswana side struggling for goals.

Libya Win

Result

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Libya Win 1-0

Correct Score

@4,50 - 1 Unit

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Graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2008 with a BA in English Literature before completing MA in Journalism. Began his career as a sports journalist in London before moving to the Middle East to work as a sports editor for national media companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Favourite Sports: Tennis, Boxing, Golf.