Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, President of the Libyan Football Federation, has officially resigned from his position.
His resignation was announced during a regular meeting of the Federation’s General Assembly on Sunday, according to reports by The Libya Observer.
In a candid statement, Al-Shalmani explained his decision, saying, “I do not want to be part of the failure in Libyan sports.” He expressed gratitude to his colleagues within the Federation and extended his forgiveness to all in the sports sector. “I thank all members of the General Assembly, and I forgive everyone from all segments of the sports sector,” he added.
The resignation of Al-Shalmani comes at a delicate time for Libyan football, as tensions have risen following allegations by the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles. The team accused the Libyan football authorities of “inhumane treatment” after being stranded for over 16 hours at Al Abraq International Airport ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier’s second leg.
The Super Eagles reportedly received no assistance from the Libyan Football Federation during the ordeal and were eventually forced to return to Nigeria. In response, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has pledged to investigate the situation.
CAF released a statement confirming the investigation, noting, “CAF has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after being 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.”
The statement added that the matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board, promising that “appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”
