Sports
Libya Threatens Legal Action Over Super Eagles’s Withdrawal From AFCON Qualifier
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has expressed strong disapproval of Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, pledging to take legal action to protect its national team’s interests.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria announced their withdrawal from the match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, citing safety concerns after enduring over 13 hours of distress at Al Abaq Airport due to an unexpected flight diversion on Sunday.
In a statement reported by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) of failing to cooperate in the organization of the match, thereby undermining efforts to ensure a successful event.
The LFF emphasized that they will explore legal avenues to safeguard the integrity of their national team and to address the perceived lack of collaboration from Nigeria.
The statement read, “The Libyan Football Federation condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, stressing that it will take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
“The Libyan Football Federation clarifies that its Nigerian counterpart did not cooperate with it in any way, whether regarding the first or second leg match, noting that the events beyond our control do not equal a small part of what the Libyan national team was exposed to in the first leg match,” it said.
The statement offered an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in the match arrangement, attributing these issues to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
“The Libyan Football Federation apologises to Libyan football fans everywhere and to the parties concerned with the match arrangements due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the match not being held on time,” the statement concluded.