Libya have threatened to take legal action against the Nigeria Football Federation over how their national team was treated ahead of their 1-0 first-leg defeat in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Mediterranean Knights claimed that they experienced harsh treatment after landing in Nigeria for their clash with Nigeria on Friday, October 11, 2024.
Statement From The Libya Football Federation Revealing Their Decision To Take Legal Action Against Nigeria
In a statement attributed to the Libyan Football Federation, they accused the Nigerian Football Federation of failing to cooperate in organizing the match and causing the confusion that led to the present situation.
They wrote: “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.”
Libya Claimed To Have Received Harsh Treatments From Nigeria Ahead Of The First-leg
In touching on what they claimed to have experienced in Nigeria, the Libyan Football Federation apparently shared:
“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 governing body of football in Libya are faulting Nigeria for failing to cooperate with them in any way either for their first meeting in Akwa Ibom, Uyo, Nigeria, or for their second leg that was expected to go down in Benghazi, Libya.
Their assertions appear to be a case of retaliation as they noted: “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.”
Libya Football Federation Apologize To Their Fans
Interestingly, the statement included an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in the match arrangement, attributing these issues to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
Nigeria’s Ordeal In Libya
The fiasco erupted after photos of the Super Eagles team appearing helpless in Benghazi surfaced online on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
The Nigerian contingent first shared that they were held hostage at Al Abraq Airport in Libya, before images showing the team sleeping on benches became viral on Monday, October 14, 2024.
Nigerians became incensed by the supposed antics of Libya and it prompted huge condemnation from authorities in the most populous nation in Africa.
The situation became severe as the players, pilots, and other important personnel were stranded at the Libyan airport for over 13 hours without access to necessities like food, water, internet, or a place to rest.
Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, who was vocal all through the event described the conditions at Al Abaq Airport as “disgraceful”.
Troost-Ekong accused Libyan authorities of deliberately playing “mind games” by revoking their landing permit and leaving the team stranded without essential amenities.
Is The Super Eagles Back In Nigeria?
The Nigerian entourage in Libya returned to Nigeria in good condition on Monday, October 14, 2024, following initial reports of the North African nation opting to deny them exit, having made up their minds not to honor the return fixture slated for October 15, 2024.
CAF Statements On The Libya Vs Nigeria Saga
The governing body of football in Africa, CAF, have waded into the matter, with the administrative body indicating their awareness of Nigeria’s ordeal in Libya.
Via a press release put out on Monday, October 14, 2024, CAF indicated they have reached out to the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after being informed that the Nigerian National Football Team were stranded in unpleasant conditions for hours at an airport that they were “allegedly” instructed to land by the Libyan authorities.
They also stated: “The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”
