The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has granted Nigeria a 3-0 victory and three crucial points in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya, following a tumultuous incident at a remote Libyan airport. This decision comes after Nigeria's refusal to play the scheduled match on October 15, 2024, in Benghazi, due to mistreatment and being stranded for over 16 hours at Al-Abraq Airport, far from their intended destination.
The Super Eagles had initially won the first leg of the qualifier 1-0 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. However, upon arriving in Libya, the team faced severe delays and poor treatment, leading them to return home. After investigating, CAF found that the Libya Football Federation violated several regulations, including Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
As a result, CAF declared the match forfeited by Libya, awarding a 3-0 score to Nigeria. This decision significantly boosts Nigeria's standing in Group D of the AFCON qualifiers, bringing their total points to 10 from four matches. They now lead the group, four points ahead of Benin and five points ahead of Rwanda. Libya, with just one point from four games, is now out of contention for qualification.
CAF also imposed a fine of USD 50,000 on the Libya Football Federation, payable within 60 days. "CAF will not tolerate any breaches of its regulations that put the integrity of our competitions at risk," the organization stated.
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