AFCON Qualifier: Nigeria-Libya Match Officially Cancelled Amid Fiasco

The 2025 AFCON Qualifier between Libya and Nigeria billed for 20:00hours, will not be held as scheduled tonight, following the outrageous events that led to the Nigerian Contingents leaving Lybian soil yesterday.

Recall that, what was supposed to be a regular routine trip to Libya on October 13, 2024, for the matchday three return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, took a rather unusual and callous turn as the Super Eagles and their technical crew got stranded at the Al-Abraq International Airport.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) delegation, comprising 22 players and officials, faced an unprecedented 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil, leading to the cancellation of the match due to trauma and fatigue.

The ordeal began with a flight delay and Diversion, as the chartered aircraft which departed Uyo at 11:55 hours on October 13, 2024, and landed in Kano for refuelling and immigration formalities was diverted to Al-Abraq International Airport instead of Benghazi due to “higher authorities'” directives.

Due to the diversion, the Nigerian contingents were left in the Al-Abraq Airport, which according to the Director of Communications of the Nigeria Football Federation, lacked basic facilities, including scanning machines and control navigators for nighttime landings.

Adding to the Diversion, the Nigerian delegation was said to have been treated with disrespect and disorganization as airport authorities showed scant respect to the delegation, and Libyan Football Federation officials were absent, coupled with the lack of food, water, or network connectivity.

With the power of social media, which later became accessible after managing to get internet access, delegation members got the word out that were prevented from exiting the airport, and security personnel were uncouth and insulting.

All initial efforts to get across to the Libyan Football Federation officials fell on deaf ears, yielded no assistance, and promises of bus arrivals were repeatedly broken.

With the frustration and anger heightened, the delegation grew restless and resorted to playing games and listening to music to cope.

In a case of a supposed payback and retaliation, after the Libyan authorities claimed Nigeria mistreated their team, this appeared to be premeditated but the NFF provided an account of events, taking the stance that they were Libyan-generated incidents.

” The NFF team was shocked because the incident referred to in Nigeria was entirely generated by the Libyans. They informed the NFF that their contingent would be landing in Port Harcourt, and not Uyo, only two hours before the team’s arrival in Nigeria. Despite this, the NFF moved swiftly to get authorities to grant their aircraft movement permit from Port Harcourt to Uyo, but this was jettisoned as the LFF apparently did not cherish the additional fee dispatched by the charter company. They opted to travel by road, refused to use the buses hired by the NFF and instead hired their own, and disrespected advice not to travel by night. When they stuck to their guns to move by night, the NFF provided security. The NFF even provided the team training facility the day after the match and secured direct flight permit from Uyo to Benghazi for the delegation.”

At 2 am, Captain William Ekong met the NFF President in the company of the NFF General Secretary to inform the President that the team may not be able to go ahead with the match, due to trauma, fatigue and body aches that resulted from lack of food, dehydration and very cruel and unimaginable treatment, which had led to some players falling ill.

After spending 20 hours waiting at the Al-Abraq airport, the Nigeria delegation departed at exactly 15.05 hours, bound for the city of Kano, and onwards to the Federal Capital, Abuja.

Reacting to the situation on Monday, CAF revealed that matter referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation.

“The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it had been informed that the Nigerian National Football Team (‘’Super Eagles’’) and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land by the Libyan authorities,” the statement reads.

“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”

Both Federations continue to wait eagerly for CAF’s decision.