The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria three points and recognized three goals in relation to the match against Libya.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced an investigation into Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, stressing that unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be accepted.
On Saturday, Ousmane Kane, chair of the CAF Disciplinary Board, stated that Nigeria would be awarded the points after finding Libya guilty of mistreating the team. The Libyan Football Federation was also fined for this incident.
CAF determined that the Libyan Football Federation violated rules concerning the Africa Cup of Nations and the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result, the match scheduled for October 15, 2024, in Benghazi has been declared a 3-0 win for Nigeria.
CAF stated that Libya violated Article 31 of the AFCON regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF disciplinary code.
Libya is required to pay a fine of USD 50,000 within 60 days of this announcement.
The Nigerian team faced delays at a Libyan airport, lacking food and internet access while preparing for their match. They eventually departed after diplomatic and social media efforts.
With this CAF decision, Nigeria is well-positioned to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having 10 points from four games—four points ahead of Benin Republic. Rwanda has five points, and Libya, with only one point, cannot qualify.
A win or draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan on November 14 will secure Nigeria a spot in the finals, set for December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.
