Sports
Eagles land in Nigeria after ordeal in Libya as CAF launches investigations
The Super Eagles have landed back in Nigeria following their ill treatment by the Libyan authorities on their journey to face Libya in a 2025 AFCON qualifier.
The team suffered a harrowing experience on their arrival in Libya on Sunday night as they were left stranded for several hours without care at the Al Abraq Airport.
Both nations had played the matchday 3 fixture of the qualifiers in Uyo where Nigeria won 1-0, and were billed to play again in Benina on Tuesday in a matchday 4 fixture.
But following the ill treatment meted out to the Nigerian contigent, the team resolved to boycott the game, and they headed back to Nigeria.
The Nigerian team alongside the officials and backroom staff landed in the international airport in Kano on Monday evening.
Read Also: Libya FA denies involvement in inhuman treatment of Super Eagles
The team’s first stop in Kano was for refuelling, according to sources from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as they are expected to continue their journey to Lagos or Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has also launched an investigation into the matter.
In a statement released on the CAF website on Monday, the federation highlighted immediate steps to engage both Libyan and Nigerian authorities.
It read: “The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it was informed that the Nigerian National Football Team and their technical team were stranded in distressing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land at by the Libyan authorities.
“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation, and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”
It is yet to be known if the tie will be postponed or cancelled, but the Super Eagles already made their stand known that they would rather forfeit all three points than go on to play against Libya.
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