The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has criticized Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya, warning of potential legal action to safeguard its national team’s interests.
The Super Eagles opted out of the match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, citing safety concerns after being stranded at Al Abaq Airport for over 13 hours due to an unexpected flight diversion on Sunday.
In a statement released via The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of not cooperating in organizing the match and contributing to the confusion that led to the current predicament.
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The statement read, “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.”
The LFF also noted that the incidents, which were beyond its control, could not be equated with what the Libyan team faced in the first leg, implying that the Nigerian federation was responsible for the mismanagement of both the initial and return matches.
“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 Libyan Football Federation clarifies that its Nigerian counterpart did not cooperate with it in any way, whether regarding the first or second leg match, noting 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,” it said.
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The statement also included an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in organizing the match, attributing these issues to the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation.
“The Libyan Football Federation apologises to Libyan football fans everywhere and to the parties concerned with the match arrangements due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the match not being held on time,” the statement concluded.
The controversy broke out after viral photos showed the Super Eagles team sleeping on benches early Monday, sparking outrage from Nigerian authorities.
The situation escalated as players, pilots, and staff were stranded at a Libyan airport for over 13 hours without essential supplies such as food, water, or proper rest facilities.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong described the conditions at Al Abaq Airport as “disgraceful,” accusing Libyan officials of intentionally playing “mind games” by revoking their landing permit and leaving the team without basic necessities.
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