The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will announce its decision on Wednesday regarding the disrupted Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria.
According to Torizone, the match was originally scheduled to take place at the Benina Martyrs Stadium on October 15. Libya’s Al-Ahrar Channel reported that CAF will provide a final verdict on the situation surrounding the first leg in Nigeria, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Super Eagles, as well as the canceled return leg that was set to occur at Libya’s 10,550-capacity stadium.
The report indicated that the Libyan Football Federation has submitted all necessary documents, with a specialized lawyer overseeing their case with CAF.
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After the fixture was canceled, CAF promptly removed the game from its calendar and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee for review.
In a statement on Monday, the Libyan Football Federation criticized the Nigerian team for refusing to play, asserting that they would pursue all legal avenues to protect the interests of their national team.
The Nigerian squad arrived in Libya on Sunday, October 14, but their flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, located three hours from the match venue in Benghazi. They were detained for 17 hours by Libyan authorities before being sent back home, leaving them in a distressed state.
In response, Nigeria filed a complaint with CAF regarding their treatment, while the Libyan Football Federation accused Nigeria of failing to cooperate in both legs of the tie, downplaying Nigeria’s experience compared to their own difficulties during the first leg.
CAF characterized the situation faced by the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous” and confirmed that it had communicated with both Libyan and Nigerian authorities. The incident has now been referred to CAF’s Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the appropriate sanctions for any regulatory breaches.