CAF Delists Nigeria vs Libya AFCON Qualifier Amid Controversy

 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially delisted the second-leg Group D fixture of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

The match, which was initially scheduled to take place in Libya at 8 pm, has now been shrouded in controversy, leading to its removal from the fixture list.

The Super Eagles had previously secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Libya in the first leg, played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, last Friday. However, the build-up to the return leg took a dramatic turn when the Nigerian team faced significant challenges upon their arrival in Libya.

According to reports, Super Eagles players and officials endured an over 14-hour ordeal at the Libyan airport, which caused them to cancel their plans and return to Nigeria. This situation has sparked widespread criticism and raised concerns over the organization of the match.

In response to the incident, CAF announced that it had launched an investigation into the matter. The Libya Football Federation has accused Nigeria of sabotage and has threatened legal action. CAF’s decision to delist the match is seen as a move to address the escalating tensions while the investigation is underway.

The African football governing body further updated its schedule for Tuesday’s AFCON qualifiers, notably excluding the Nigeria vs. Libya fixture from its list of games on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.

At the time of this report, it remains unclear when or if the match will be rescheduled.