By John Ibizugbe-
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce its decision on Wednesday regarding the cancelled Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group D qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria, initially scheduled for October 15 at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi, Libya, Paparazzi Sports reports.
The Libyan news outlet, Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, revealed that CAF will make a final ruling on the events surrounding the abandoned match, including the first-leg encounter in Nigeria, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Super Eagles.
The reverse fixture, which was to take place at Libya’s 10,550-capacity all-seater stadium, never materialised due to unexpected circumstances. The Libyan Football Federation has submitted all relevant documents, along with legal assistance from a specialised lawyer, to CAF for review.
A day after the match was called off, CAF officially removed the fixture from its calendar, announcing its cancellation just hours before kick-off and referring the case to its Disciplinary Committee for investigation.In a statement on Monday, the Libyan Football Federation criticised the actions of the Nigerian side, accusing them of refusing to play the match.
The Federation declared, “We will take all necessary legal measures to safeguard the interests of our national football team.” Nigeria’s squad had arrived in Libya on Sunday, October 14, but their flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, a three-hour drive from Benghazi.
The Nigerian team reportedly endured a 17-hour ordeal, held at the airport by Libyan authorities before eventually returning home, claiming they were “traumatised.”In response, Nigeria lodged a formal complaint with CAF, recounting the harsh conditions and their detention.
The Libyan Federation, however, argued that the Nigerian team’s experience was minor compared to what they faced during their visit to Nigeria for the first leg.CAF has described the treatment of the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous” and acknowledged that it had contacted both Libyan and Nigerian authorities to resolve the situation.
The case has since been forwarded to CAF’s Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the consequences for those found in breach of the competition’s regulations.
