- The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria a 3-0 victory in their AFCON qualifier against Libya, following a match that was abandoned due to safety concerns.
- The Libyan Football Federation was also fined $50,000 for violating CAF regulations, and Nigeria now leads Group A with 10 points, increasing their chances of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON
- Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong expressed joy over the ruling
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has celebrated the ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match between Libya and Nigeria.
CAF had awarded the Super Eagles a victory in their controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
The ruling comes after an abandoned match on October 15, which was marred by safety concerns that led Nigeria to boycott the game.
The CAF Disciplinary Board, led by chairman Ousmane Kane, declared Nigeria the winner by a score of 3-0, awarding the team three points and three goals. The board found that the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) had violated Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, along with Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. In addition to the forfeiture, Libya has been fined $50,000, payable within 60 days of notification.
"This ruling means Nigeria is closer to qualifying for the 2025 AFCON," said William Troost-Ekong, the Super Eagles captain
“JUSTICE: CAF awards three points and three goals to Nigeria. Libya fined $50,000. The plane was diverted 300km from the scheduled airport, even when the pilot told them he was low on fuel. One step closer to our target AFCON 2025.”
With this outcome, Nigeria now sits atop Group A with 10 points from four matches, four points ahead of second-placed Benin Republic.
Rwanda follows with five points, while Libya finds itself at the bottom of the table with just one point, effectively eliminated from qualification contention.
The Super Eagles can secure their place in the finals, set to take place in Morocco in late 2025 and early 2026, with a win or draw against Benin Republic on November 14 in Abidjan.
You will recall that the match disruption stemmed from a dire travel situation, with the Nigerian team reportedly stranded at Al-Abraq airport in Libya, for over 22 hours, citing safety fears.
In response, the Libya Football Federation accused the Nigeria Football Federation of failing to coordinate effectively regarding travel arrangements and claimed that their own team experienced difficulties during the reverse fixture in Nigeria.
Former Super Eagles coach Peseiro shares why he didn't continue with Nigeria
Previously, TheRadar reported that former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro has finally revealed why he parted ways with Nigeria after leading the team to the 2023 AFCON final.
His decision to step down, despite coming close to winning Africa's most prestigious football tournament, was long concluded even before the AFCON final match in Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite attempts from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Sports Minister John Enoh to convince him to stay for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and upcoming AFCON qualifiers, Peseiro felt he had reached his limit.
