The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has clarified the reason for the cancellation of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya. The match was initially set to take place at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, CAF announced that the match “will not take place as scheduled tonight” and that the situation would be referred to the appropriate CAF bodies for further consideration.
This decision follows the Super Eagles’ difficult return to Nigeria after spending over 14 hours dealing with Libyan authorities.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
The Super Eagles were originally slated to land in Benghazi, but their flight was unexpectedly redirected to Al Abraq, which is located two hours from their intended destination. The pilot explained, “The flight plan was approved by the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority for landing in Benghazi, Benina. However, as we began our descent, we were ordered to divert to Al Abraq, which was not even listed as our alternate airport. This directive came from the highest Libyan authorities.”
He added, “In aviation, we calculate fuel based on our destination. Unexpected diversions can jeopardize safety. I repeatedly raised concerns about our fuel limitations, but they insisted we land at Al Abraq, citing orders from top authorities.”
The pilot also denied media reports suggesting that the diversion was his decision, emphasizing that all aviation communications are recorded and can be verified.
Following this ordeal, the Super Eagles and officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were left without any transportation, food, or accommodations for more than 14 hours before eventually returning to Nigeria.