The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has taken decisive action after this week’s troubling travel ordeal led to the withdrawal of the Super Eagles from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Libya, Soccernet.ng reports.
According to the Daily Trust, the NFF has submitted all necessary documents to the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Disciplinary Committee, detailing the events that unfolded before the scheduled October 15 fixture.
The controversy erupted when the Nigerian team’s flight, bound for Benghazi, was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abraq Airport.
Upon arrival, the Super Eagles delegation endured nearly 20 hours of detention at the airport, reportedly without access to food or water.
This situation prompted the Nigerian government to direct the NFF to withdraw the team from the match, citing concerns for the players’ safety in the tense atmosphere.
Even before Nigeria officially pulled out, the NFF lodged a formal complaint with CAF, accusing the Libyan authorities of unacceptable treatment.
CAF responded by condemning the incident, labelling the treatment of the Nigerian delegation as “despicable.”
Both the NFF and the Libya Football Federation (LFF) were instructed to submit detailed accounts of the event by October 20.
While the NFF has met this deadline, the LFF has engaged legal representation, distancing itself from the situation by claiming that the flight diversion was a decision made by Libyan state authorities, not the football federation.
As CAF’s investigation unfolds, the fate of the match remains uncertain, with potential consequences ranging from a rescheduled fixture to disciplinary sanctions.