Today, Wednesday, October 23, 2024, be the day when Confederation of African Football (CAF) go announce their decision on the botched AFCON 2025 qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya. The match, which was supposed to hold on October 15 at Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benina, Libya, never happened due to several logistical and safety issues faced by the Nigerian team.
The Nigerian team encountered numerous challenges when they arrived in Libya, including their flight being diverted to Al Abraq Airport, which is over 200 km and three and a half hours drive from the planned camp site. The players and officials were left stranded at the airport for over 18 hours without food or water, leading to the team boycotting the match.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, during a press conference after the 46th Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, confirmed that a proper investigation is ongoing and emphasized that CAF will not tolerate any lack of sportsmanship in African football. Motsepe highlighted that such issues have been recurring and that CAF is reviewing its regulations to enforce stricter measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Nigeria Football Federation lodged a complaint with CAF, and the football body put the match on hold, referring the case to its Disciplinary Committee. On Tuesday, the CAF Executive Committee held a hearing for all parties involved before making their decision today.
Nigerian football stakeholders and fans are eagerly awaiting the verdict, with many expecting heavy sanctions against Libya for the inhuman treatment and logistical complications inflicted on the Super Eagles. Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick and other members of the CAF Executive Committee supported Nigeria’s accusations against Libya during the hearing.
The decision by CAF will be closely watched, especially given the concerns about sportsmanship and fair treatment of visiting teams in African football competitions.
