CAF Disciplinary ruling triggers Libyan backlash, urges deportation of Nigerian workers amid AFCON fallout

Following the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board’s recent ruling against the Libya Football Federation (LFF), tension has flared within Libyan media, as several platforms have called on authorities to penalise Nigerian workers in the country, Soccernet.ng reports.

The CAF Disciplinary Board sanctioned the LFF with a USD 50,000 fine and awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory to Nigeria due to the Super Eagles’ prolonged detainment at Al Abraq Airport.

The incident, which delayed Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualifying match, saw CAF cite the LFF’s failure to meet security and logistical obligations, ultimately handing three valuable points to the Super Eagles in their qualification campaign.

In response to the ruling, a Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, published a post on Sunday urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without legal documentation.

The post, which garnered significant attention, demanded a $500 fine and taxes from Nigerians working in Libya without residence permits. The blog argued that the fine imposed on Libya should be compensated by taxing Nigerians living in the country.

The blog’s post included statements from a Libyan TV presenter who argued that anyone working in Libya without paying taxes is “eating haram,” or sinful money, and called for immediate government action.

A second Libyan media platform, Libya INF.TV, echoed similar sentiments, as they called for the arrest of undocumented Nigerian workers and asserting that fines should be paid from their wages.

This backlash follows a CAF ruling on October 23, in which Libya was found guilty of breaching Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

Chaired by Ousmane Kane, the board cited Libya’s failure to ensure the security of the Nigerian team, a disruption that ultimately led to Nigeria’s three-point gain in the AFCON qualifiers.

The CAF ruling has provided Nigeria a much-needed boost in their AFCON 2025 qualification, bringing their points total to 10 and placing them four points ahead of Benin Republic in Group A.

Rwanda trails with five points, while Libya, with only one point, has now fallen out of contention for qualification.