UNAF U20: Tunisia-Libya, an Algerian at the center of a controversy!

This decision sparked fierce indignation among the Libyan players and staff, with some believing that the goal was almost guaranteed, especially since the situation somewhat favored the Algerian team.

However, the rule is perfectly clear, even in this atypical context. When a goalkeeper leaves his goal and advances into the opponent's half, as happens during a corner at the end of a match, he is considered a normal player, just like an outfield player. The rule makes no distinction between the goalkeeper and other players: for an attacker to be considered onside, he must always have two opponents between him and the opponent's goal line, regardless of their role.

At the moment of the Libyan pass, the attacker had already crossed the halfway line and was closer to the Tunisian goal than the second-to-last Tunisian player. Goalkeeper Bouaskar was then far from his goal, in the Libyan box. Only one Tunisian player remained between the attacker and the goal line.

This is precisely what makes the situation misleading: visually, the presence of the Tunisian goalkeeper in the other box may give the impression that the situation is regular. But what matters is the position of the last two opponents at the moment of the pass, not their usual position on the field.

The Libyan attacker would have avoided the offside if he had been in his own half at the time of the pass or if a second Tunisian player had been positioned behind him.

The decision by Algerian Mohamed Refik Ouina, impressive in its context but in accordance with the rules of the game, thus ended a huge Libyan opportunity. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw, with Tunisia being eliminated and Libya letting a valuable chance slip away before their final match against Morocco.

The Algeria U20 team now has its fate in its own hands, but to qualify for the 2027 AFCON, they will need to triumph over Egypt, who will be playing at home during this UNAF tournament!

DZfoot