Libyan Football Federation Condemns Nigeria’s Withdrawal From AFCON Qualifier, Vows Legal Action
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has strongly criticized Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the second-leg African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match in Benghazi. The LFF stated that it plans to take all necessary legal actions to safeguard the interests of the Libyan national football team.
In a statement published by The Libya Observer, the LFF expressed disappointment, noting that despite enduring “inhumane treatment” in Nigeria during the first-leg match, the Libyan team chose to play. The LFF claimed that Nigeria showed no cooperation with the Libyan delegation and that the treatment Libya received in Nigeria was far worse than what Nigeria experienced in Libya.
The Nigerian football team, the Super Eagles, pulled out of the match, citing safety concerns after being stranded at Al Abaq Airport for over 13 hours without access to basic necessities like food, water, or a place to rest. Images of the team sleeping on benches in the airport went viral, escalating the situation.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong described the conditions as “disgraceful,” accusing Libyan authorities of deliberately playing “mind games” by revoking the team’s landing permit, which left them stranded without essential amenities. As a result, Nigeria opted to withdraw from the match, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
In its official statement, the LFF said, “The Libyan Football Federation condemns the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation in refusing to participate in the Libya-Nigeria match, stressing that it will take all legal measures necessary to protect the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
The LFF also attached footage of what it referred to as inhumane treatment during their stay in Nigeria, highlighting that this did not prevent them from playing the first-leg match out of cooperation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The LFF added that the Nigerian federation had shown no cooperation in either the first or second leg.
Apologizing to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays surrounding the match, the LFF attributed the disruption to the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation. “The Libyan Football Federation apologizes to Libyan football fans everywhere, as well as to all parties involved in the match arrangements, for the confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the match not taking place on time,” the statement concluded.
