In a decisive ruling, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Committee has awarded Nigeria’s Super Eagles a 3-0 victory in their abandoned Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
Originally set for October 15 in Benghazi, the match was disrupted after Nigeria’s team was stranded for over 22 hours at Libya’s remote Al-Abraq airport, leading them to withdraw over security and logistical concerns.
CAF’s ruling, signed by Disciplinary Board chairman Ousmane Kane, found the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) in breach of Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations, alongside Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Alongside forfeiting the match, the LFF faces a $50,000 fine, payable within 60 days.
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The ruling nudges Nigeria toward AFCON 2025 qualification, boosting the Super Eagles to 10 points, four points ahead of Benin Republic in Group A. A win or draw against Benin Republic on November 14 in Abidjan would secure Nigeria’s spot in the AFCON finals in Morocco.
The LFF claimed that the travel difficulties faced by Nigeria’s team were unintentional, while also alleging that their team had encountered similar logistical issues in Nigeria. Following the incident, CAF launched an investigation into the disrupted match, which was initially scheduled for the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benina, Benghazi.
