The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has rejected Nigeria's decision to withdraw from the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, indicating that it may pursue legal action to protect its team's interests.
The Nigerian Super Eagles cited safety concerns after being stranded for over 13 hours at Al Abaq Airport due to an unexpected flight diversion on Sunday. This situation led to Nigeria's withdrawal from the match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
In a statement released by The Libya Observer, the LFF accused the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) of failing to cooperate in organizing the match, which contributed to the confusion surrounding the situation.
The LFF's statement asserted, “The Libyan Football Federation condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, stressing that it will take all legal measures to preserve the interests of the Libyan national football team.”
The LFF also pointed out that incidents beyond its control should not be compared to what the Libyan team experienced during the first leg of their encounter. They claimed that the NFF was responsible for mishandling both legs of the match.
“The Libyan Federation highlights that despite facing challenges, it cooperated with the Confederation of African Football to ensure a smooth match last Friday in Nigeria,” they stated.
Additionally, the LFF apologized to Libyan football fans for any confusion and delays caused by the NFF's actions, which they believe led to the postponement of the match.
