The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has condemned Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier while vowing to take legal action to defend its national team’s interests.
The Super Eagles on Monday pulled out of the match, which was scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, citing safety concerns after being stranded at Al Abaq Airport for more than 13 hours due to an unexpected flight diversion on Sunday. In a statement shared by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of not cooperating in the organisation of the match.
The statement reads: “The Libyan Football Federation condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, stressing that it will take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
“The Libyan Football Federation clarifies that its Nigerian counterpart did not cooperate with it in any way, whether regarding the first or second leg match, noting that the events beyond our control do not equal a small part of what the Libyan national team was exposed to in the first leg match.”
The statement offered an apology to Libyan football fans for the confusion and delays in the match arrangement, attributing these issues to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
“The Libyan Football Federation apologises to Libyan football fans everywhere and to the parties concerned with the match arrangements due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the match not being held on time,” the statement concluded.
