CAF Awards Three Points, Goals To Nigeria For Libya Game

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria three points and three goals due to Libya’s failure to host their recent match.

This development follows CAF President Patrice Motsepe’s statement about an ongoing investigation into the controversy surrounding Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya. Motsepe reiterated that CAF would not tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct or unfair treatment in African football.

In a statement on Saturday, CAF Disciplinary Board Chairperson Ousmane Kane confirmed the decision, stating that the disciplinary committee found Libya guilty of inhumane treatment toward Nigeria’s senior men’s football team. The five-member disciplinary committee included Mr. Ousmane Kane (Senegal) as Chairperson, Ms. Njeri Onyango (Kenya) as Vice-Chairperson, along with Mr. Felix Golbassia (Chad), Mr. Patrick Shale (Lesotho), and Mr. Norman Arendse (South Africa) as members.

The incident involved Libyan authorities diverting Nigeria’s flight at the last minute, stranding players and officials at the airport without food or internet access, as they prepared for their AFCON 2025 qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights. Diplomatic efforts and social media appeals were necessary to secure the team’s departure from Libya.

CAF’s disciplinary board ruled that Libya violated Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Consequently, Libya forfeits the October 15 match against Nigeria, with a scoreline of 3-0. Additionally, the Libya Football Federation must pay a $50,000 fine within 60 days.

With this ruling, Nigeria now leads the group with 10 points from four games, four points ahead of the Benin Republic. Rwanda trails with five points, while Libya, with only one point, is out of the qualification race. A win or draw against Benin on November 14 in Abidjan would secure Nigeria’s spot at the AFCON finals in Morocco, set for December 2025 to January 2026.