The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set up a disciplinary panel, led by Senegal’s Ousmane Kane, to investigate the circumstances behind the cancellation of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Libya and Nigeria.
The match, scheduled to take place in Benina near Benghazi, was called off after Nigeria withdrew, citing safety concerns and a hostile reception from the Libyan hosts.
Nigerian officials claimed their delegation was detained at a Libyan airport for nearly 16 hours from Sunday to Monday without any assistance from Libyan authorities or the country’s football federation. They were not received upon arrival, denied entry into Libya, and even after offering to arrange their logistics, were still refused access.
CAF’s disciplinary committee includes members such as Jane Njeri Onyango of Kenya (Vice-President), Norman Arendse of South Africa, Mohamed Mostafa El-mashta of Egypt, and representatives from Chad, Lesotho, Niger, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.
Notably, Nigeria’s Justice Roli Daibo Harriman serves as the president of CAF’s Appeal Board, with Cape Verde’s Faustino Varela Monteiro as vice president.
CAF condemned the situation in a statement issued on Monday, expressing outrage at the treatment of the Nigerian team and pledging to hold those responsible accountable. “CAF views the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team (Super Eagles) at an airport in Libya in a severe light,” the statement read.
The disciplinary panel will investigate the incident and determine any actions ahead of upcoming AFCON qualifiers.
