Eleven days after the cancellation of the 2025 AFCON qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has delivered its ruling on the matter.
To recap, the Super Eagles faced unexpected complications when their flight to Benghazi was diverted at the last minute to Al Abraq airport, where they were stranded for over 12 hours without food or sleeping arrangements, reportedly due to local authorities’ actions. Faced with these conditions, the Nigerian team decided to return home, effectively boycotting the match.
CAF, which launched an investigation following the incident, has now taken action and issued an official statement on Saturday outlining the decisions of its disciplinary committee.
Nigeria Near Qualification
“The Libyan Football Federation is found guilty of violating Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code,” the organization stated, declaring that the match is awarded as a 3-0 forfeit in favor of Nigeria. In addition, the Libyan Federation must pay a $50,000 fine within 60 days.
“I’ve heard too many stories of football clubs or national teams arriving in a country, spending hours at the airport, and being asked for non-existent documents,” lamented Patrice Motsepe, CAF President and candidate for a second term, on Tuesday. With this decision, Nigeria moves closer to securing their spot in the final phase of AFCON, needing only to avoid defeat in their next away match against Benin to confirm qualification.
Current Group D Standings:
- Nigeria – 10 points
- Benin – 6 points
- Rwanda – 5 points
- Libya – 1 point
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