The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has provided clarification on why the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya will not hold as initially scheduled.
The match, set for 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, has been postponed due to issues between the two nations.
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In a statement released on Tuesday, CAF announced that the matter “will be referred to the competent CAF bodies,” without providing further details. “The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Qualifier fixture between Libya and Nigeria will not take place as scheduled tonight,” the statement said.
The delay follows complications that arose after the Nigerian Super Eagles faced a 14-hour delay upon their arrival in Libya, a situation that left the team stranded.
The Nigerian team was originally scheduled to land in Benghazi; however, their flight was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abaq, a location two hours away from their destination. The flight’s pilot explained the ordeal, noting that the decision to reroute the plane came from Libyan authorities.
“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority,” the pilot said. “However, as we began our descent, we were instructed to divert to Al-Abraq, which wasn’t even listed as our alternate airport. This decision came from the highest Libyan authorities, not me.”
The pilot emphasized the safety risks of the diversion, adding, “In aviation, we calculate fuel based on our destination. Diverting unexpectedly can compromise safety. I repeatedly questioned the directive and warned them about fuel limitations, but they insisted that we land at Al-Abraq, citing orders from the highest authority.”
He refuted media reports that suggested the diversion was his choice, stating that aviation communications are recorded and available as evidence. “Everything is documented. I asked to land in Benghazi as per my flight plan, but they denied it, instructing me to divert immediately,” he said.
For over 14 hours, the Super Eagles, along with Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials, were left stranded with no transport arrangements, contributing to the current uncertainty regarding the rescheduling of the match.
