The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) says it will do all it takes as it seeks to overturn the sanctions imposed on it by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Afrosport reports.
The Mediterranean Knights of Libya and Nigeria were initially supposed to lock horns at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but the Super Eagles boycotted the game after being held hostage for more than 15 hours without food, water and internet.
CAF initially delisted the match after the mistreatment of the Nigerian delegation, and the body’s disciplinary board on Saturday ruled in favour of the three-time African champions, subsequently awarding Nigeria a 3-0 win and fined the Libya Football Federation $50,000.
In an interview with BBC Africa, the acting President of the LFF Abdunnaser Ahmed said: “Match points cannot be awarded in this way. It is a precedent that African Football has never witnessed before.
“Whoever refrains from playing before any match is cancelled should be considered a loser.”
CAF’s ruling further jeopardises Libya’s chance of qualifying to the AFCON finals in Morocco next year as they currently lie bottom of Group D with one point, four away from third-placed Rwanda and nine away from leaders Nigeria.
However, following a statement from CAF, which stated that “all further motions or prayers for relief are dismissed”, it is expected that if Libya’s appeal with CAF hits a brick wall, the North African country is ready to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
“We believe that our cause is just,” Ahmed added. “We will see CAF’s response to the appeal submitted by us and we will go to CAS. [We] will not give up our right.
“Such decisions place football officials in Africa before a new phase of dramatic scenes.”
The Mediterranean Knights are up against Rwanda at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali in matchday five scheduled for November 14, while the Super Eagles head to Abidjan to face Benin Republic.
