The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) is contemplating legal action against Nigeria after the Super Eagles withdrew from a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match. Nigeria’s decision was prompted by safety issues when the team was stranded for over 13 hours at Al Abaq Airport. They were diverted unexpectedly, which caused significant delays, leading to their decision to pull out of the game scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
The situation became public when images of the Super Eagles sleeping on benches at the airport went viral, drawing criticism from Nigerian officials. Reports indicated that the players and staff had no access to essential needs like food, water, or comfortable seating during their long wait.
In a statement released on October 14, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of not cooperating effectively in organizing the match, which they claim contributed to the confusion. The LFF further stated that the challenges faced by the Nigerian team could not be compared to what the Libyan team experienced during the first leg of the match. They suggested that the Nigerian federation mishandled both legs of the qualifier and that they may take legal measures to protect the interests of Libyan football.
“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 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 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.
