The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has initiated an investigation into the incident involving Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles.
Daily Patriot reported that the Nigerian Super Eagles team and its technical staff were reportedly stranded in “disturbing conditions” for over 15 hours at Al Abraq International Airport after allegedly being directed to land there by Libyan authorities.
The debacle unfolded ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, with the Super Eagles stranded without assistance from the Libyan Football Federation.
The incident sparked outrage and accusations of “inhumane treatment,” leading to the team’s decision to return to Nigeria without playing the scheduled match.
In its reaction via a statement posted on its website on Monday, October 14, 2024, CAF referred the matter to its Disciplinary Board for a full investigation, promising that appropriate actions would be taken against any parties found in violation of CAF Statutes and Regulations.
CAF has also contacted authorities in both Libya and Nigeria following an incident.
“The incident goes against the spirit of fair play and the regulations governing the sport,” a CAF official noted.
Amid the controversies, the President of the Libyan Football Federation, Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, is reported to have resigned.
Many sports experts and other social commentators have debated that Mr Shalmani’s resignation is believed to have played out following the recent debacle involving the Nigerian Super Eagles and the Libyan national security.
According to a report, the former official stepped down citing dissatisfaction with the state of Libyan sports.
Daily Patriot cannot immediately confirm that Mr Shalmani’s resignation was connected to the debacle involving the Nigerian team and the Libyan national security.
However, his resignation was announced during a Federation meeting on Sunday, October 13, 2024, where he stated, “I do not want to be part of the failure in Libya sports.”
Meanwhile, CAF has said its intervention aims to ensure the accountability of all parties involved, as the football community awaits the outcome of the disciplinary investigation.
