October 15, 2024 | 05:30 PM ET |
Nigeria’s action to skip the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya has been denounced by the Libyan Football Federation, which has threatened to take legal action to safeguard the interests of its national team.
Nigeria withdrew from the game, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, after the Super Eagles expressed safety concerns after becoming delayed at Al Abaq Airport for more than 13 hours after an unplanned detour on Sunday.
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 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 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 further offered an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in the match arrangement, attributing these issues to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
“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.
The controversy erupted after photos of the Super Eagles team sleeping on benches went viral early Monday, prompting condemnation from Nigerian authorities.
The situation worsened as the players, pilots, and other personnel were stranded at the Libyan airport for over 13 hours without access to necessities like food, water, or a place to rest.
The Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, described the conditions at Al Abaq Airport as “disgraceful,” accusing Libyan authorities of deliberately playing “mind games” by revoking their landing permit and leaving the team stranded without basic amenities
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