Nigeria awarded 3-0 victory over Libya after airport stranding incident

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria a 3-0 victory over Libya after a chaotic incident left the Super Eagles stranded upon arrival for an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

CAF’s disciplinary committee ruled that Libya must forfeit the match and pay a $50,000 fine after Nigeria’s squad faced what they described as “inhumane treatment.”

Nigeria’s team had landed in Libya for the match, only to be left at an unstaffed airport for over 20 hours without food or water, forcing them to return home without playing the game, which was set to take place in Benghazi, 250 kilometres from their arrival location.

With this decision, Nigeria now sit atop Group D with 10 points, four points clear of Benin and five ahead of Rwanda, with two matches remaining in the qualifying series. The top two teams in the group will advance to the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.

Libya, now bottom of Group D with a single point, has suffered a setback in their campaign. Incidents like these, where visiting teams encounter logistical issues as a form of gamesmanship, are not uncommon in African football, where teams are sometimes met with delays, difficult travel routes, and inadequate facilities.

The post Nigeria awarded 3-0 victory over Libya after airport stranding incident first appeared on 3News.

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