The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board has settled the controversy surrounding the Match Day 4 fixture between Libya and Nigeria for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. In a decisive ruling, the board awarded a 3-0 victory to Nigeria due to Libya’s breach of several CAF regulations.
With this decision, the Super Eagles now lead Group D, amassing 10 points and a goal surplus of seven, while maintaining a clean sheet throughout their qualifying campaign. The ruling places Nigeria in a strong position as they march toward securing their place in the AFCON 2025 tournament.
Don’t wait. The time will never be just right!
CAF’s statement clarified the situation, explaining that Libya had violated Article 31 of the AFCON regulations, along with Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result, the match, originally scheduled to take place in Benghazi on October 15, 2024, was declared forfeited by Libya, with a 3-0 scoreline in favor of Nigeria. In addition, the Libyan Football Federation was fined USD 50,000, payable within 60 days of the decision.
This decision has caused a significant shift in the group standings, granting Nigeria a crucial advantage in the AFCON 2025 qualification race.
This ruling is crucial for Nigeria as it not only provides them with a clear advantage in the race for qualification but also allows them to focus on their remaining fixtures with an even stronger position. For Libya, however, the road ahead becomes more challenging as they try to recover from this setback and regroup for their remaining games in the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles will look to capitalize on this momentum in their upcoming matches, while the Libyan side will need to address the regulatory and disciplinary issues that led to this outcome.
This news gives me hope, but we need a follow-through on these policies to really see change
ddd