The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a $50,000 fine on Libya and awarded a 3-0 win to Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. This decision, which grants Nigeria the full three points from the match, comes after significant travel difficulties faced by the Super Eagles during their trip to Libya.
CAF announced its verdict in a statement released on Saturday, following a detailed investigation into the incident. The challenges for Nigeria’s national team included a redirected flight, over 18 hours of delays, and logistical issues when they traveled for the return leg of the qualifier match. In the first leg, Nigeria had secured a 1-0 victory over Libya in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe addressed the situation during the 46th Ordinary General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Although he did not provide specific details about the incident, he stressed CAF’s commitment to ensuring fair treatment of all national teams and clubs during international matches.
“The process has been properly investigated and appropriate action will be taken,” Motsepe stated.
Motsepe emphasized that CAF would no longer tolerate instances where visiting teams are subjected to poor treatment.
“When there was this problem with the Nigerian national team in Libya, and I will not comment on that, because there’s a proper investigation. But I want to emphasize a principle that we will not tolerate,” he said, referencing similar cases where teams have faced undue hardships during travel.
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Highlighting a broader issue within African football, Motsepe said, “Too many stories have been told of national teams or football clubs going to a country, and they spend hours at the airport, being asked about documents that don’t exist.”
He called for fairness and respect for visiting teams, underlining that all teams should be treated with dignity during competitions.
The decision to award Nigeria a 3-0 victory and fine Libya sends a message to other nations that CAF is serious about maintaining the integrity of the competition. Motsepe’s comments suggest that the organization is determined to improve standards for visiting teams, ensuring a more equitable playing field across the continent.
With this decision, Nigeria now gains a significant advantage in the race for qualification to the 2025 AFCON, while Libya faces the consequences of failing to provide adequate hospitality to the Super Eagles. The $50,000 fine and the forfeiture of the match underscore CAF’s stance on upholding fairness in African football.