Tremors of excitement rippled through a makeshift Tripoli soccer field as dozens of African migrants, in a rare show of jubilation, readied to cheer their teams to victory.
The migrants from the Tariq al-sika detention centre were taking part in a soccer tournament, organised by a civil society group whose aim is to introduce a sense of normality to their lives.
Most of the migrants arrived in Tripoli after their boats had been intercepted by Libya’s coastguard while trying to reach Europe.
The migrants are held at the detention centre until the International Organization for Migration can organise their return through a voluntary programme that puts them on a one-way flight to their home countries.
Dressed in matching jerseys and brand new rubber-soled shoes, migrants from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire jogged out onto the pitch in high spirits waving at their eager spectators and fellow detainees.
The tournament sees teams from Guinea Conakry, Morocco, Egypt, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Gambia competing in two groups of four.
Two matches are played daily in a game of five-a-side football. The winning teams receive different sized trophies and medals.
Libya is a common departure point for hundreds of migrants from sub-saharan Africa fleeing conflict and poverty but a deal brokered with smuggling rings in the west has led to a drop in the flow of migrants since July.
However, a drop in departures means many migrants are forced to stay in Libya in detention centres which provide very little in basic services to the migrants, due to a lack of resources and overcrowding.
