The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially removed the Nigeria vs Libya AFCON 2025 qualifier from today’s schedule, Soccernet.ng reports.
This development follows the recent airport ordeal in Libya, where Nigerian players and officials were detained for several hours at Al Abraq Airport under unclear circumstances.
The incident occurred when the Super Eagles' flight, initially bound for Benghazi, was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abraq, leaving the Nigerian contingent stranded.
Despite the Nigerian Football Federation arranging transport in Benghazi, Libyan authorities allegedly failed to provide buses for the team at Al Abraq, further exacerbating the situation.
CAF has since confirmed that the highly anticipated second-leg clash, part of the doubleheader between Nigeria and Libya for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, has been excluded from today’s fixture list.
While other matchday four fixtures will proceed as planned, the Nigeria vs Libya game has been temporarily postponed pending further investigation.
Such a busy day of #AFCONQ2025 games ahead! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vxLsFXnwdG
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 15, 2024
The Nigerian football community and fans worldwide have expressed outrage over the situation as they question the motives behind the Libyan officials’ actions.
In response to the escalating tensions, CAF issued an official statement confirming the launch of an investigation into the incident:
“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 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.”
Although no official date has been set for the rescheduled match, CAF’s intervention indicates that a resolution could be imminent.
For now, the Nigerian football community will have to wait as the football governing body investigates the troubling events surrounding the Super Eagles' detention.
