Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the abandonment of their 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya on October 15. The CAF Disciplinary Committee also fined the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) $50,000 for violations of tournament regulations and misconduct, with the payment required within 60 days.
The match, scheduled to take place in Benghazi, was called off after Nigeria’s players and staff were stranded for more than 22 hours at the remote Al-Abraq airport. Citing safety concerns, the Nigerian team refused to proceed with the game. Libya, however, accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of poor cooperation regarding travel arrangements and claimed the Libyan team faced similar logistical issues during the reverse fixture in Nigeria.
In its ruling, CAF found Libya guilty of breaching Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result, Nigeria was awarded three points and three goals, boosting their tally to 10 points and keeping them at the top of Group D.
With this ruling, Nigeria edges closer to qualification for the 2025 AFCON tournament, needing just a draw in their next match against Benin Republic on November 14 to secure a place in the finals. Libya’s loss leaves them at the bottom of the group with one point, effectively ending their qualification hopes.
CAF emphasized that it will not tolerate unprofessional behavior or unsportsmanlike conduct, underscoring its commitment to maintaining high standards in African football. The Super Eagles are now focused on sealing their qualification spot when they face Benin next month.
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