CAF Fixes Date To Decide On Libya vs Nigeria Case
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will on Wednesday announce its decision regarding the disrupted Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria.
Naija News reports that the match was scheduled to take place at the Benina Martyrs Stadium on October 15.
Libya’s Al-Ahrar Channel reported that CAF will reveal its final verdict on the situation surrounding the first leg in Nigeria, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Super Eagles, and the canceled return leg that was supposed to take place at Libya’s 10,550-capacity, all-seater stadium.
The report also mentioned that the Libyan Football Federation has submitted all relevant documents, with a specialized lawyer overseeing their case with CAF.
Following the cancellation of the fixture, CAF removed the game from its calendar the next day and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee for review.
In a statement on Monday, the Libyan Football Federation criticized the Nigerian team’s refusal to play the match, stating that they would pursue all legal avenues to protect the interests of their national team.
The Nigerian squad arrived in Libya on Sunday, October 14, but their flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, located three hours from the match venue in Benghazi. The Nigerian team was detained for 17 hours by Libyan authorities before returning home, leaving them in a distressed state.
Nigeria subsequently filed a complaint with CAF about their treatment, while the Libyan Football Federation accused Nigeria of failing to cooperate in both legs of the tie, downplaying Nigeria’s experience compared to their own ordeal during the first leg in Nigeria.
CAF described the situation faced by the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous” and confirmed that it had reached out to both Libyan and Nigerian authorities.
The incident has now been referred to CAF’s disciplinary committee, which will determine the appropriate sanctions for any breaches of the regulations.
