From Punch
The Libyan Football Federation has condemned Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the scheduled 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, threatening to take legal action to protect its national team’s interests.
The Super Eagles withdrew from the match that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, citing safety concerns after being stuck at Al Abaq Airport for more than 13 hours on Sunday due to an unplanned diversion.
In its statement shared by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of failing to cooperate in organising the match and causing the confusion that led to the current situation.
The statement read, “The Libyan Football Federation condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, stressing that it will take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
The LFF also mentioned that the incidents beyond its control could not be compared to what the Libyan team experienced in the first leg, suggesting that the Nigerian federation was responsible for the mishandling of both the initial and return legs.
“The Libyan Federation attaches some inhumane footage that did not prevent the Libyan mission from playing the Nigeria-Libya match last Friday in Nigeria, out of cooperation with the Confederation of African Football.
“The Libyan Football Federation clarifies that its Nigerian counterpart did not cooperate with it in any way, whether regarding the first or second leg match, noting that the events beyond our control do not equal a small part of what the Libyan national team was exposed to in the first leg match,” it said.
The statement also expressed regret to Libyan football supporters for any confusion and delays caused by the match scheduling, blaming the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions for these problems.
“The Libyan Football Federation apologises to Libyan football fans everywhere and to the parties concerned with the match arrangements due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the match not being held on time,” the statement concluded.
Images of the Super Eagles squad dozing off on benches went viral early on Monday, sparking outrage and drawing criticism from Nigerian authorities.
The players, pilots, and other staff members were left stranded at the Libyan airport for more than 13 hours without access to basic supplies like food, water, or a place to rest, which made the situation worse.
William Troost-Ekong, the captain of the Super Eagles, called the circumstances at Al Abaq Airport “disgraceful” and charged that the Libyan government was purposefully manipulating the team by rescinding their landing permit and abandoning them without even the most basic amenities.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
