CAF to Announce Decision on Libya vs Nigeria AFCON Qualifying Controversy on Wednesday

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to reveal its decision on the controversial AFCON qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria on Wednesday, following a series of complications surrounding the game that was meant to take place at the Benina Martyrs Stadium on October 15, as reported by PUNCH Sports.

Libya Al-Ahrar Channel stated that CAF will provide a final verdict regarding the issues faced by players during the first leg in Nigeria, which ended with a 1-0 victory for the Super Eagles, as well as the match that was planned for Libya’s new all-seater stadium with a capacity of 10,550.

The Libyan Football Federation has submitted all necessary documentation, having enlisted a specialized lawyer to oversee the case with CAF. Just a day after the originally scheduled match was canceled, CAF removed the fixture from its calendar and referred the incident to its Disciplinary Committee for further examination.

In a statement issued Monday, the Libyan Football Federation criticized the actions taken by Nigeria concerning the latter’s refusal to play against Libya. The Federation pledged to pursue all legal avenues to protect the interests of its national team.

Nigeria’s team arrived on October 14, only to have their flight redirected to Al Abraq International Airport, approximately three hours away from Benghazi, the match venue. The Nigerian squad was detained for nearly 17 hours, experiencing significant distress before returning home.

In response, Nigeria filed a complaint with CAF detailing their ordeal, while the Libyan Federation accused Nigeria of failing to cooperate in both legs of the qualifying round, claiming that their own experiences in Nigeria were far more challenging.

CAF described the circumstances surrounding the Nigerian team’s experience in Libya as “extremely dangerous” and noted that it had reached out to both Libyan and Nigerian authorities after reports of the team’s troubling conditions at the airport. The situation has been referred to CAF’s disciplinary committee for investigation and possible sanctions against those who breached regulations.