The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has intensified its investigation into the controversial cancellation of the 2025 AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Libya.
The match, scheduled for October 15 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was abruptly called off after the Nigerian team’s plane was diverted to Labraq Airport in Libya, where the players were held hostage for 18 hours.
In a statement released on Saturday, CAF announced that it has instructed both the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to submit detailed documentation regarding the incident. The deadline for submission has been set for Sunday October 20.
The Libyan Football Federation, represented by its Secretary-General Nasser Al-Suwaie, has confirmed that they are preparing a legal response to CAF’s inquiry.
Al-Suwaie insisted that Libya had no involvement in the plane’s diversion, attributing the decision to the Libyan state.
He also expressed concerns about potential collusion within CAF, claiming that the Libyan Federation’s position is strong and supported by evidence.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, with many calling for Libya to be held accountable for its actions.
Former Nigerian international Harrison Jalla urged the African Union to intervene, citing the incident as a reflection of Libya’s hostile attitude towards other African countries.
A civil society group, the Congress for Good Governance for National Unity, has gone even further, calling for the Libyan Government to be prosecuted for attempted genocide at the International Criminal Court.
The group accused Libya of endangering the lives of the Super Eagles players and their support staff by forcibly diverting the plane and depriving them of essential necessities.
