The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has initiated an investigation into the troubling treatment of Nigeria’s Super Eagles at a Libyan airport. In a statement issued on Monday, CAF condemned the prolonged delay faced by the Super Eagles players and coaching staff upon arrival in Libya for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match.
CAF described the situation as “disturbing” and confirmed that it has been in communication with both Libyan and Nigerian authorities to understand the full scope of the incident. The African football governing body has referred the matter to its disciplinary board and has vowed to hold those responsible accountable for violating its statutes and regulations.
“The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after being informed that the Nigerian National Football Team (‘Super Eagles’) and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land by the Libyan authorities,” CAF stated.
This incident occurred following Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Libya in the first leg of the AFCON qualifying match held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, last Friday. The Super Eagles were reportedly held at the Al Abaq airport in Libya since Sunday evening, sparking outrage and calls for accountability.
In response, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Monday that it had withdrawn the Super Eagles from the upcoming second leg of the qualifying match due to the unacceptable treatment they experienced.
As of the time of this report, the Super Eagles players are en route back to Nigeria. CAF has assured fans that it will take swift and appropriate action to address the situation once the investigation is concluded.
Melissa Enoch
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