The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has spoken out for the first time on the controversial incident involving Nigeria’s Super Eagles ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier against Libya.
In a press conference, Motsepe expressed concern over the treatment of the Nigerian national team at a Libyan airport but held back from commenting in detail until a formal investigation is completed.
“We should have zero tolerance,” Motsepe said. “When there was this problem of the Nigerian national team in Libya, I will not comment because there is a proper investigation. But I want to emphasise that we will not tolerate these kinds of incidents.”
He further condemned the broader issue of poor sportsmanship, citing examples where teams have faced undue delays at airports or been subjected to questionable COVID-19 protocols. “This lack of sportsmanship has been going on for some time, and we haven’t taken effective action. We are reviewing those laws to ensure fairness.”
The Nigerian team’s ordeal occurred ahead of their scheduled match against Libya on October 15, 2024. Their flight to Benghazi was diverted, leaving the players stranded for over 20 hours at a small airport. As a result, Nigeria opted not to play the match.
CAF is expected to deliver a verdict on the situation once the investigation is concluded.
