Libya threatens legal action after abandoned AFCON qualifier
The Libyan Football Federation strongly insists that Nigeria should take responsibility for the abandoned Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Benghazi after the Super Eagles refused to play due to mistreatment by Libyan authorities upon their arrival in the country.
In a video released by the Eagles media team, the players and officials were stranded with their luggage at the airport, while the Libyan airport officials seemed unconcerned about their situation and were speaking in Arabic.
Libya was supposed to host the three-time African champions at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, just 10 kilometers from Benghazi, but their plane was diverted to the Al Abraq Airport, which is over 200 km away and a three and a half hours' drive from the planned campsite.
After being held at the Al Abraq International Airport for over 20 hours without food or water and completely isolated, the Eagles boycotted the AFCON qualifiers against the Mediterranean Knights and returned to Nigeria on Monday night.
In response, the Confederation of African Football announced that the match will not take place as scheduled, and the matter will be referred to the appropriate CAF bodies.
Earlier, CAF had announced an investigation into the incident after the Libya Football Federation accused sabotage and threatened legal action against Nigeria.
In a subsequent statement, Libya apologized to their fans but condemned the actions of the NFF, stating that it would take all necessary legal measures to protect the national team's interests.
“The Libyan Federation condemns the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation for refusing to participate in the Libyan-Nigerian cup qualification match scheduled for Tuesday, October 15. It affirms that it will take all legal measures to safeguard the interests of Libya’s first team.
The Libyan Federation attaches some inhumane footage that did not prevent the Libyan missions from participating in the Nigeria-Libya game last Friday on Nigerian soil, motivated by cooperation with the African Football Federation. The Libyan Football Federation apologizes to Libyan audiences everywhere and to the parties involved in the match because of the confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation for not having the game on time,” the translated statement read.
The LFF had previously expressed dissatisfaction with how their players and officials were treated upon their arrival in Nigeria for the first leg in Uyo last week. They redirected their flight to land in Port Harcourt instead of Uyo, the match venue where the NFF was eagerly waiting to receive them.
Nigeria secured a 1-0 victory in the match, maintaining their leading position in Group D and positioning themselves well to secure a spot in the finals in Morocco in July next year, which will include the top two teams from each qualification pool.
In the meantime, on Tuesday, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, for their roles in evacuating the stranded senior national team players from Libya.
Dr. Ike Neliaku, the NIPR President and Chairman of Council, expressed his admiration during the official unveiling of the Nigeria Reputation Management Group in Abuja. He emphasized the delicate nature of reputation and the need to protect it, praising the foreign affairs minister for ensuring the players were not abandoned and acknowledging the commitment of the nation to respect and support Nigerians wherever they may be.
As the world awaits CAF's decision on the matter, Senator John Enoh, the Minister for Sports Development, lauded the Eagles for their composure "despite the provocations" they faced in Libya.
He acknowledged the challenges the team encountered and expressed gratitude for their safe return, emphasizing that their safe return was the priority. He thanked the team for their mature response to the situation, highlighting their calmness and resilience in the face of adversity, which he described as a reflection of the typical Nigerian spirit.
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