Al-Afreky Derna Club has returned to the spotlight after a long absence of 27 years, having secured promotion to the Libyan Premier League for football.
Al-Afreky returned to the Premier League after defeating Al-Manar Soussa with a score of two goals to one. The team’s two goals were scored by Mado Fofana and Radwan Al-Tira. The team also missed a penalty kick in stoppage time during the match, which was held at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi, as part of the final round of the promotion playoffs for the second group.
With this victory, Al-Afreky puts behind it many long years of playing outside the Premier League, returning once again to the ranks of the elite amidst a celebratory atmosphere that enveloped its fans who accompanied it on its journey back.
Statement from the Former President
In a special comment on this occasion, Ali Ragas, the former president of the club, told Address Libya newspaper, “Today, I feel as if time has taken me back. This achievement is not just a promotion, but the return of the soul to a body that has waited for a long time. I see in the eyes of these heroes the passion that we had, and they have succeeded in what we have always strived for. They have proven that the flame of Al-Afreky never goes out. I dedicate this victory to the city of Derna and to everyone who kept the dream of returning alive all these years. Congratulations on the return of our glories.”
Al-Afreky.. A Rich History
It is noteworthy that Al-Afreky club, which was officially founded in 1952 under the name Ittihad Derna, is one of the oldest sports clubs in Libya, as it was an extension of the Omar Al-Mukhtar National Association.
Throughout its history, the club has produced prominent names in Libyan football such as: Awad Aoun, goalkeeper Faraj Adwal, striker Fahim Ragas, and Fathi Sultan.