Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong expressed his satisfaction following a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) concerning Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.
Gists9ja CAF’s Disciplinary Board awarded Nigeria three points and three goals from the canceled Matchday 4 game, originally set for October 15 in Benina, Libya. The decision, signed by chairman Ousmane Kane, cited the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) for violating Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
“The Libyan Football Federation breached Article 31 of the AFCON Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Match No. 87, Libya v Nigeria, is declared forfeited by Libya (3-0),” the ruling stated.
CAF also fined the LFF USD 50,000, to be paid within 60 days.
This ruling brings Nigeria closer to AFCON 2025 qualification, now leading with 10 points from four matches. Nigeria is ahead of Benin Republic, which has six points, followed by Rwanda with five, while Libya, with one point, is eliminated.
A win or draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan on November 14 will secure Nigeria’s spot in the finals in Morocco in late 2025 and early 2026.
The Super Eagles had skipped the match, citing safety concerns after being stranded at Al-Abraq Airport near Benghazi for over 22 hours. The LFF, however, accused the Nigeria Football Federation of lack of cooperation on travel logistics, alleging that Libya’s team faced similar issues in Nigeria during the previous week’s fixture.
Reacting on X.com, Troost-Ekong expressed his relief, saying, “JUSTICE: CAF awards three points and three goals to Nigeria. Libya fined $50,000. The plane was diverted 300km from the scheduled airport, even when the pilot was low on fuel. One step closer to our target AFCON 2025.”
