The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has removed the Group D second-leg qualifier between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Libya’s Mediterranean Knights from its 2025 African Cup of Nations, AFCON, schedule.
Originally set to be played in Libya at 8 p.m. Tuesday following the first-leg match at Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, the return fixture was aborted amid controversy. The Super Eagles secured a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg, but the second leg was disrupted when Nigerian players and officials encountered significant delays at the Libyan airport, enduring over 14 hours of complications before returning home.
CAF has since launched an investigation into the incident after the Libya Football Federation accused Nigeria of sabotage and hinted at possible legal action. In a recent update, CAF removed the fixture from its schedule on social media without providing further details, fueling speculation around the fixture’s status.
READ ALSO: Libyan FA denies sabotage, blames air traffic logistics
Credible News recalls that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, on Monday, had announced the withdrawal of the Super Eagles from the 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya, citing a severe ordeal faced by the team at Al Abraq International Airport.
The Nigerian delegation, which arrived in Libya on Sunday for Tuesday’s crucial fixture, was stranded at the small, remote airport for over 17 hours. Their chartered flight, initially en route to Benghazi, was abruptly diverted to Al Abraq—a location typically reserved for hajj flights—without prior warning.
The NFF, in a statement released on Monday, decried the distressing situation. NFF disclosed that the Libyan Football Federation failed to provide any form of assistance, leaving the team stuck at the airport with no transportation to their hotel, which is located three hours away.
This controversy has cast a shadow over the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, with both teams now awaiting clarity on the next steps.
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