CAF President Patrice Motsepe has spoken about the incident involving the Nigerian national team who were held at Al Abraq Airport in Libya. The Super Eagles were stranded for more than 13 hours while traveling to Benghazi for their 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya, due to transportation issues not being arranged by the Libyan Football Federation.
Motsepe addressed the situation, stressing CAF’s commitment to ensuring accountability in such matters. “I won’t comment directly on the Nigeria-Libya situation since it’s under investigation, but we won’t tolerate incidents like this that have been recurring for too long,” he said. He also pointed out that these situations, where teams face prolonged delays at airports or are questioned unnecessarily about documentation, have been a problem for years.
The Nigerian team was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, over two hours away from their intended destination, and was left without proper logistical support. The situation caused significant frustration as Nigeria was preparing for their important second-leg AFCON qualifier, which has now been postponed.
CAF confirmed that it has been in contact with both Libyan and Nigerian authorities and that the case has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board. They assured that appropriate action will be taken against those responsible for breaching CAF rules and regulations.
