The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has removed the second-leg fixture between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya from the ongoing 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Group D encounter, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday in Libya at 8 pm, will no longer take place, sparking widespread controversy in the football world.
The decision follows a turbulent sequence of events involving the Super Eagles’ team, who endured an arduous 14-hour ordeal at a Libyan airport. After their narrow 1-0 victory in the first leg held at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, the Nigerian players and officials faced significant travel challenges en route to Libya, ultimately returning home without setting foot on the pitch.
According to sources within the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the team was subjected to an unexpected and lengthy delay upon their arrival in Libya. Despite prior arrangements, they were held at the airport for hours without any clear explanation, prompting frustration and concerns over the team’s welfare.
In response to the incident, CAF announced that it had launched an investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the Super Eagles’ ill-fated trip. Meanwhile, the Libya Football Federation has raised allegations of sabotage, threatening legal action against Nigeria and accusing the NFF of deliberately derailing the match. CAF has yet to provide a formal statement on the allegations but has taken immediate action by delisting the match from its schedule.
Fans of both teams were left in shock when CAF updated its official schedule on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, omitting the Nigeria vs Libya fixture entirely. While other AFCON qualifiers slated for Tuesday remain intact, the absence of this crucial Group D match has raised questions about the integrity of the competition and possible diplomatic fallout between the football associations of both nations.
The Super Eagles’ narrow victory in Uyo—secured by a late goal in the dying minutes—was expected to set the stage for a tense second leg, with both teams eager to secure their place in the 2025 AFCON tournament. However, with the fixture now scrapped, it remains uncertain when, or if, the match will be rescheduled.
As CAF continues its investigation, football analysts speculate that the controversy could have deeper implications for future AFCON fixtures, particularly in politically volatile regions. This is not the first time security concerns and logistical issues have affected international football matches in Africa, but the scale of this incident could prompt CAF to revisit its protocols for hosting international games.
For now, Nigerian football fans await further updates from CAF and the NFF, hopeful that the situation will be resolved swiftly and fairly. Meanwhile, Libya’s football authorities are expected to press ahead with their legal challenge, intensifying an already fraught situation.
As the dust settles, this saga is likely to remain a hot topic in African football circles.
