AFCON: CAF To Announce Final Decision On Libya Vs Nigeria

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce its final decision on the botched Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying Group D match between Libya and Nigeria tomorrow, Wednesday, Libya Al-Ahrar Channel said.

The fixture, which was scheduled to take place at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya on October 15, was abruptly canceled, leaving both teams in uncertainty.

The highly anticipated reverse leg, following Nigeria’s 1-0 victory in the first leg in Nigeria, was called off hours before kick-off.

CAF delisted the fixture from its calendar and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee for review.

Since then, the Libyan Football Federation has submitted all necessary documents to CAF, along with a specialized lawyer assigned to oversee the case.

The match’s cancellation came after a dramatic ordeal for the Nigerian team, whose flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, approximately three hours from Benghazi, the venue for the match. Nigerian players and officials were reportedly held for 17 hours under stressful conditions, prompting Nigeria to lodge a formal complaint with CAF, citing safety concerns and mistreatment.

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The Libyan Football Federation, in a statement, criticized Nigeria for allegedly refusing to play the match, while also expressing dissatisfaction with the way the Nigerian team handled the situation.

The Federation has vowed to pursue all legal measures to protect the interests of their national team.

Nigeria had arrived for the match on Sunday, October 14, only for their flight to be diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, which is about three hours away by road to Benghazi, the venue of the match. The Libyan authorities held them captive for approximately 17 hours, leaving them traumatized as they flew back to their home country.

Nigeria lodged a complaint with CAF lamenting their ordeal, and the Libyan Federation said that the Nigerians did not cooperate with them in any way, whether in the first or second leg, indicating that their experience is a child’s play compared to theirs while in Nigeria for the first leg.

CAF had described what happened to the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous,” noting that it had contacted the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after reporting that the latter had been subjected to worrying conditions for hours at the airport. It referred the matter to its disciplinary committee to investigate and take appropriate action against those who violated the regulations.