The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has formally requested an explanation from the Libya Football Federation (LFF) regarding the events that led to the cancellation of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Group D qualifier against Nigeria.
The match, originally scheduled to take place on October 15, was called off after the Nigerian team refused to play, citing poor treatment by the Libyan authorities.
Stranded: Super Eagles players left in the Al Abraq Airport for 15 hours. The Players and team officials slept on seats. Photo | X
According to the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), their team’s flight en route to Benghazi was diverted to Labraq Airport, where they were allegedly held for 18 hours without food or water.
CAF has set a deadline of October 20 for both the Libyan and Nigerian football bodies to submit all relevant documentation pertaining to the incident, according to reports from Al-Ahrar Channel.
The Libya Football Federation has reportedly hired a specialized lawyer to handle the case.
It is believed that the federation denies responsibility for diverting the Nigerian team’s flight, stating that the decision to reroute the plane was made by Libyan state authorities and not the football federation.
Both federations are expected to provide their reports to CAF by the stipulated deadline for further investigation.
The Super Eagles secured a 1-0 win in the first leg of the qualifier in Uyo, which keeps them at the top of Group D, while Libya remains at the bottom.
