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The LFF had said on Monday that the incident was not deliberate and urged Nigeria to be understanding.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) said Nigeria were to blame for the postponement of Tuesday's scheduled Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Benghazi after the visitors refused to play the match citing mistreatment on arrival in the country, according to Reuters.
Nigerian players and officials were kept in a locked airport for over 16 hours almost 250km away from their intended destination after their charter flight was redirected while on approach to Benghazi and instead landed in Bayda.
They said they had no access to food or water, or contact from Libyan officials during the episode, and decided to fly back to Nigeria on Monday rather than fulfil the fixture. The LFF had said on Monday that the incident was not deliberate and urged Nigeria to be understanding, adding that their players had also faced travel difficulties last week.
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11:25 - 15.10.2024
UEFA Nations League: Relegation-threatened Scotland prepare for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co as they search first win
Belgium, Hungary Poland and Serbia could potentially be replaced by Czech Republic, Greece, Norway and Turkey in the UEFA Nations League but Scotland have a tough test against Portugal.
The Confederation of African Football has said it has referred the matter to its disciplinary board. The LFF said in a statement it deplored the actions taken by the Nigeria Football Federation and that it would take all legal measures to protect the interests of the national team.
The LFF statement read, “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 Libyan Federation attaches some inhumane footage that did not prevent the Libyan mission from playing the Nigeria-Libya match last Friday in Nigeria, out of cooperation with the Confederation of African Football," read the statement in part.
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15:00 - 14.10.2024
'We will not play'- William Troost-Ekong on why Nigeria's Super Eagles are abandoning their AFCON 2025 qualifying match against Libya
Nigeria were poised to take on Libya in return leg in their group D AFCON qualifier fixture but left stranded amid logistical issues.
The LFF also issued an apology to their supporters for the inconveniences caused. "The Federation apologises to the Libyan football fans everywhere and the parties concerned with the arrangements of the match due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation, which led to the failure to hold the match on time," it added.
The LFF had earlier complained about the treatment of their players and officials on arrival in Nigeria for a qualifier in Uyo last week, which saw their flight land hours away from the match venue and the players endured long travel delays.
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