The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ruled in favor of Nigeria following the disrupted Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifier scheduled for October 15 in Benina, Libya.
Nigeria was awarded a 3-0 victory and three points, while the north African team was slammed a $50,000 fine.
The decision follows CAF’s disciplinary committee investigation into a complaint from the Nigeria Football Federation. The Nigerian team, the Super Eagles, endured a 20-hour ordeal upon arrival in the north African nation.
Originally scheduled to land in Benghazi, their flight was diverted to Labraq Airport, roughly 300 km from the match venue.
Once there, the Super Eagles were held for 18 hours without access to food, water, or adequate sanitation, leading to a state of physical and mental exhaustion. The team ultimately returned to Nigeria, unable to compete.
CAF’s disciplinary committee found Libya in violation of several regulations, including Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Signed by committee chairman Ousmane Kane, the ruling declared Libya’s forfeit, awarding Nigeria a 3-0 victory.
This decision brings Nigeria to 10 points, leaving them on the verge of qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
The Mediterranean Knights, however, is at the bottom of Group D, with only one point and no chance of qualifying.
The Libyan Football Federation has condemned the ruling as unjust and is appealing the decision, having enlisted Tunisian lawyer Ali Abbas to challenge the verdict, according to Libyan news outlet alwasat.ly.
