The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce its verdict on Wednesday regarding the postponed Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification match between Libya and Nigeria.
The match scheduled for October 15 at the Benina Martyrs Stadium, was called off. CAF will make a final ruling on the situation, including the Super Eagles’ 1-0 win in the first leg held in Nigeria and the subsequent cancellation of the second leg at Libya’s 10,550-capacity stadium.
According to Libya’s Al-Ahrar Channel, the Libyan Football Federation has submitted all necessary documentation to CAF, with their case being handled by a specialized legal team.
After the match was cancelled, CAF referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee for review and removed the fixture from its schedule the following day.
The Libyan Football Federation criticized the Nigerian team for not showing up to play and stated on Monday that they would pursue all legal options to protect their national team’s interests.
On October 14, the Nigerian team arrived in Libya but their plane was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, about three hours from Benghazi’s stadium. The Nigerian players were reportedly held by Libyan authorities for 17 hours before they were permitted to return home, leaving them in a distressed state.
In response, Nigeria lodged a complaint with CAF over their treatment in Libya, while the Libyan Federation accused Nigeria of being uncooperative during both legs of the qualifier, downplaying Nigeria’s claims of mistreatment.
CAF has acknowledged that it contacted both the Nigerian and Libyan authorities, describing Nigeria’s situation in Libya as “extremely dangerous.”
CAF’s Disciplinary Committee has been tasked with investigating the incident and determining if any sanctions should be imposed for violations of match regulations.
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