The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi is to captain his country’s soccer team on a two-match tour of Australia next month, Australian officials said on Tuesday.
Al-Saadi Gadaffi, who played last season in Italy with Serie B club Perugia, was expected to be part of the Libyan team to play matches against a New South Wales (NSW) ”All-Stars” selection on February 9 and NSW Premier League club Sydney United on February 13.
NSW Soccer spokesperson Kyle Patterson said the 31-year-old midfielder’s friendship with Perugia and Australian national team goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, a former Sydney United player, had helped bring about the tour.
Gadaffi was banned for three months last year after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone and only played 15 minutes of first-team soccer during the season.
He is also chairperson of the Libyan Football Federation and was involved in a failed bid to have the 2010 World Cup finals played in Libya.
Libya will use the two games at Edensor Park in Sydney as match practice for its 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Libya is still in contention to qualify for the tournament, sitting second in African Group Three and needing to win the group to go to Germany next year. – Sapa-AFP