The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) on Tuesday outrightly condemned Super Eagles of Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the second-leg match of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
The match which was initially scheduled to take place in Benghazi on Tuesday, October 15 has been cancelled following the ordeal the Nigeria’s team face in Libya on Monday.
In a statement shared by The Libya Observer, the LFF expressed its intention to pursue legal actions to protect the interests of the Libyan national football team.
According to LFF, despite facing “Inhumane treatment” during the first-leg match in Nigeria, they still proceeded with the game.
They also criticized the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as they frowned at their lack of cooperation with the Libyan delegation during the first and second leg of the match.
New Telegraph reports that the dispute escalated after the Nigerian Super Eagles cited safety concerns as their reason for pulling out of the second-leg game.
Super Eagles was reportedly stranded for over 13 hours at Al Abaq Airport without basic necessities.
Photos of the players sleeping on benches at the airport went viral, adding fuel to the controversy.
Super Eagles Team captain, William Troost-Ekong described the situation as “Disgraceful.”
Ekong accused Libyan authorities of deliberately creating obstacles, including revoking their landing permit.
In their statement, LFF condemned Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the match and attached footage of what they described as poor treatment during their visit to Nigeria for the first-leg match, which they claim was worse than what the Nigerian team experienced in Libya.
The LFF also apologized to Libyan football fans for the disruption caused by Nigeria’s refusal to play.
It also stressed that the Libyan squad remained committed to cooperation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The LFF reiterated its stance on taking legal action against the NFF to ensure that the interests of the Libyan football squad are safeguarded.
The federation also expressed regret over the confusion and delays in the match arrangements.
It attributed the chaos to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
This development comes as a setback in the ongoing AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
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