The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria, which was originally scheduled to take place tonight.
In a media statement issued today, CAF confirmed that “the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Qualifier fixture between Libya and Nigeria will not take place as scheduled tonight.”
The decision follows the Super Eagles being stranded for over 15 hours at a Libyan airport under what CAF described as “disturbing and unacceptable conditions.”
CAF added that the matter has been referred to its competent bodies for further investigation and action. However, no walkover has been declared for Libya, despite Nigeria’s absence from the fixture.
The Super Eagles were en route to Benghazi when they were reportedly held at Al-Abraq Airport, about 240km from Benghazi where they were diverted to, eventually prompting the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the players to boycott the match and return to Nigeria.
The Nigerian team, led by captain William Troost-Ekong, expressed their frustration over the delay and the handling of the situation. Troost-Ekong took to social media to explain the challenges they faced, stating, “After our first tweets, magically a team bus arrived… Now we have been waiting for fuel since morning.” He further criticized the Libyan authorities, adding, “We would NEVER treat a guest nation for a game in this way. Mistakes happen, delays happen. But never on purpose!”
Following hours of waiting for clearance to depart for the match venue in Benghazi, the NFF announced that the Super Eagles had opted to return to Nigeria rather than proceed with the game, citing mistreatment by Libyan authorities.
CAF, having been informed of the situation, expressed its concern and promised to take appropriate action after investigating the incident.
“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,” CAF said in a statement on Monday.
CAF’s disciplinary board is expected to issue a ruling on the matter in the coming days.
