The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is poised to make a decision regarding the disrupted 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying Group D match between Libya and Nigeria.
The game, initially scheduled to take place at Benina Martyrs Stadium on October 15, will be addressed in an official ruling expected to be announced this Wednesday.
According to reports from the Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, CAF will not only deliver a verdict on the challenges faced by the teams during the first leg, which saw Nigeria claim a 1-0 victory over Libya, but will also address the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the reverse fixture.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has already submitted all required documentation to CAF in support of their case.
The journey of Nigeria’s football delegation was marked by significant adversity.
Their flight, originally bound for Benghazi—the location set for the match—was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, located roughly three hours away by road from the scheduled venue.
Once grounded, the Nigerian players and officials were held in precarious conditions for at least 17 hours, with no access to food, water, or internet services before they eventually flew back to Nigeria.
In light of this experience, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) promptly filed a formal complaint with CAF, detailing the harrowing treatment of their delegation.
However, the Libyan Football Federation disputed the allegations, maintaining that the Nigerian delegation had failed to cooperate with them during both the first and second legs of the tie.
CAF’s upcoming ruling is eagerly awaited, as it will determine the future of this contentious fixture and set a precedent for how such incidents are handled in future AFCON qualifying matches.
