Libya Criticizes Nigeria’s AFCON Withdrawal

October 15, 2024 EMMANUEL ADEBAYO AJIBOLA

The Libyan Football Federation has criticised Nigeria’s choice to withdraw from the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya, warning of potential legal action to safeguard the interests of its national team.

The Super Eagles cited safety issues after being stuck at Al Abaq Airport for more than 13 hours due to an unexpected diviation on Sunday, which led to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the match originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.

In a statement shared by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of not cooperating in organising the match and contributing to the confusion that resulted in this situation.

The statement stated, “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 Libyan Football Federation has released a statement on Nigeria refusing to go ahead with the match.

Translated as gotten from @Mike_ThePundit pic.twitter.com/EgsCMHv8HG

— Banter! (@Bantercliq) October 14, 2024

The LFF also noted that events beyond its control were not comparable to what the Libyan team faced during the first leg, implying that the Nigerian federation was to blame for the mismanagement of both the first and return legs of the match.

The statement continues,

“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.”

The statement also included an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in organising the match, attributing the problems to the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation.

“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 controversy arose after photos of the Super Eagles sleeping on benches went viral early Monday, leading to criticism from Nigerian authorities.

The situation escalated as the players, pilots, and other personnel were stuck at the Libyan airport for over 13 hours without access to essentials such as food, water, or proper rest facilities.

William Troost-Ekong, Super Eagles captain, called the conditions at Al Abaq Airport “disgraceful,” accusing Libyan authorities of intentionally playing “mind games” by revoking their landing permit and leaving the team stranded without basic necessities.