AFCON Qualifier: CAF to Rule on Libya vs. Nigeria Case This Wednesday

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will announce its decision on the disrupted AFCON qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria on Wednesday, October 23. The match was scheduled to take place at Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya on October 15.

Team Nigeria arrived for the match on Sunday, October 14, but their flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, approximately three hours by road from Benghazi, the match venue.

The Libyan authorities detained the team for about 17 hours, leaving them traumatized before they were flown back to Nigeria.

Nigeria lodged a complaint with CAF regarding their ordeal, while the Libyan Federation claimed that the Nigerians did not cooperate with them during either leg of the matches, suggesting their experience in Nigeria was more challenging.

CAF labeled the incident as “extremely dangerous” and stated that it had contacted both Libyan and Nigerian authorities after reports indicated that the Nigerian team faced concerning conditions at the airport.

The matter was referred to CAF’s disciplinary committee for investigation and appropriate action against any violations.

The day after the disrupted match, CAF removed the fixture from its calendar and announced its cancellation shortly before kickoff, forwarding the case to the Disciplinary Committee for further consideration.

According to Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, CAF will announce its final decision regarding the players’ experience during the first leg in Nigeria, which ended 1-0 in favor of the Super Eagles, as well as the reverse fixture that was to be held at Libya’s first all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 10,550.

The channel also reported that the Libyan Football Federation has submitted all relevant documents with the assistance of a specialized lawyer to oversee the Libyan file with CAF.