The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has announced its intention to pursue legal action against Nigeria following the Super Eagles’ decision to withdraw from the scheduled 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, citing safety concerns after a harrowing experience at Al Abaq Airport.
The controversy began when the Nigerian team found themselves stranded at the airport for over 13 hours due to an unexpected diversion, leading them to pull out of the match originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
Photos of the Super Eagles players sleeping on benches circulated online early Monday, sparking widespread condemnation from Nigerian authorities.
The dire situation escalated as players and staff were left without access to essential needs such as food, water, or proper resting facilities during their prolonged wait.
In a statement released on Monday night, the LFF expressed outrage, accusing the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) of failing to cooperate in organizing the match and contributing to the confusion surrounding the events.
“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,” the statement declared. The LFF emphasized that it would take all necessary legal measures to protect the interests of the Libyan national football team.
The federation further remarked that the challenges faced by the Nigerian team could not be compared to the adversities encountered by the Libyan team during the first leg of their qualifier match, suggesting that the NFF mishandled both legs of the encounter.
“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 statement noted.
Additionally, the LFF apologised to Libyan football fans and other stakeholders for the confusion caused by the NFF’s actions, which ultimately led to the match not being held as scheduled.
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