The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed Nigeria a decisive victory in the recently abandoned Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Libya and Nigeria.
Originally scheduled to take place on October 15, 2024, in Benghazi, Libya, the game never saw completion. As a result of Libya’s rule violations, CAF ruled in favor of Nigeria, awarding them a 3-0 win by forfeit.
This outcome grants Nigeria all three points from the fixture, a critical boost as they move forward in the AFCON 2025 qualifying rounds.
The CAF Disciplinary Board, which oversees regulatory compliance within the organization, released a detailed statement outlining the grounds for their decision.
The ruling explained that the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) violated multiple articles under CAF’s regulations, including Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
“The Libyan Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
“The match No. 87, Libya v Nigeria, of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on 15 October 2024 in Benghazi), is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (with a record of 3-0),” the ruling read in part.
The disciplinary action also comes with a financial penalty for Libya, as the LFF has been ordered to pay a fine of $50,000 to CAF within 60 days.
