The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has criticized Nigeria’s decision to pull out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Libya, citing security concerns.
Nigeria withdrew after their delegation was delayed for over 17 hours at Al Abaq Airport, prompting widespread outrage. The match was scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, but the Super Eagles returned to Nigeria on Monday night.
In a statement published by The Libya Observer, the LFF expressed disappointment and accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of failing to cooperate in organizing the match. The LFF also hinted at taking legal action to defend its interests.
“The Libyan Football Federation condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match… stressing that it will take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team,” the statement said.
The LFF further criticized Nigeria for not addressing issues from both the first and second legs of the qualifiers. They posted images of Libyan players preparing for the match on social media, despite Nigeria’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has delisted the fixture from its official Nations Cup qualifiers schedule, which has sparked further controversy. The Super Eagles won the first leg 1-0 in Nigeria and currently lead Group D with seven points.
CAF is yet to make an official ruling on the match’s outcome or rescheduling.