The Nigerian senior national football team, the Super Eagles, along with their officials, have safely returned to Kano on Monday evening after a turbulent stay in Libya.
The team had been scheduled to play a return leg qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Libya, but withdrew due to alleged maltreatment by Libyan authorities.
The Nigerian delegation was stranded at a makeshift airport in Libya from Sunday evening until early Monday, prompting the team to abandon the scheduled AFCON qualifier match set for Tuesday.
In response to the situation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has acknowledged the incident and taken official steps to address it.
In a statement released on Monday, CAF announced that the matter has been referred to its Disciplinary Board for investigation.
“The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it had been 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.
“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”
The Super Eagles, after enduring many hours of delay at Al Abraq airport, decided to withdraw from the qualifier match due to the unfavorable treatment they received. They departed Libya for Nigeria on Monday and have now landed safely.
CAF has reassured all parties that a thorough investigation will be conducted, and those found responsible for violating football regulations will face consequences.
