The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has expressed strong disapproval of Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The LFF has vowed to take legal action to protect the interests of its national team.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles pulled out of the match, scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, citing safety concerns after being stranded at Al Abaq Airport for over 13 hours due to an unexpected flight diversion.
In a statement released by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation of failing to cooperate in the match’s organization. The statement condemned Nigeria’s actions, stating that it would “take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
The LFF clarified that its Nigerian counterpart had not cooperated in any way, regarding either the first or second leg match. The federation attributed the confusion and delays in the match arrangements to the Nigerian Football Federation’s actions.
The LFF apologized to Libyan football fans for the disruption and delays caused by Nigeria’s behaviour.
The statement read: “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 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.”
