CAF should deal with errant conduct in African football 

The scenario that played out last week between the Libyan football authorities and the Nigerian national football team is not just appalling, it says a lot about the demeaning state of African sports. Although the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the body supervising soccer engagements in the African continent is already investigating the incident and has cancelled the match, and may make a pronouncement any moment, this does not detract from the huge setback that football development in Africa has suffered.

The action of CAF in promptly cancelling the game and referring the case to its disciplinary committee is commendable. However, the African football body needs to use the occasion to make a statement regarding discipline and the overall development of football in Africa. Firstly, the rules guiding football engagements in the continent, set by the CAF, should not be treated with disdain or as if they don’t matter. The rules are not for decoration but to instil discipline and establish engagement formalities. Where the rules are regularly embraced contemptuously as it appears in the present instance, football development in the continent is threatened. It is on record that what happened in Libya was not the first of such occurrences. Still, there is no record that anyone or authority was previously sanctioned to deter others with such a nonchalant attitude.

On her part, Libya denied that the incident was a deliberate action to frustrate the Super Eagles in the botched encounter, after Nigeria narrowly won the first leg days earlier in Uyo, Nigeria. Libya sought to impress that the consequences of the incident, and in particular, the dislocation and psychological upset suffered by Nigeria were all unintended and that such abnormal arrangements occur occasionally and could often not be ruled out in a country with an unstable government. While it is true that Libya is currently war-torn and a tussle between two or more military forces, each claiming to be the authentic government, the conflict should never have been allowed to disrupt scheduled international engagement, to the extent of endangering the safety, even lives of visiting contingent.

If sports development, including soccer in Africa, is ever intended to match or surpass the standard already set by the world, the Libyan episode should be a first step to correcting the anomalies presently ingrained into the system. Under no circumstance should visiting officials be treated shabbily or be given the impression that they are unwanted in the host territory. The safety and welfare of visitors should never be compromised on the altar of sporting rivalry or as a measure of ensuring victory at all costs, fair or foul. Football or sports generally cannot evolve fully under that misconceived environment; while the essence of sports – to engender friendship, cooperation, entertainment and a huge business venture – will thus be defeated.

In this regard, if Libya is found to have willfully unleashed provocative, inhumane and orchestrated assault on a fellow African country in an age when African leaders are seeking ways to unite the peoples of the continent, she should be punished accordingly to send strong messages to other possible recalcitrant countries.
 
The account of the Tunisian pilot revealed that Libya exposed the Nigerian delegation to the risk of a possible crash when they were clearly informed that the chartered flight had barely enough fuel to get to the Al Abraq Airport, which, they knew, lacked the required aviation facility to handle such flights. 

In her unremorseful response, Libya claimed that her contingent to Nigeria was subjected to similar inhospitable treatment when they came to Nigeria for the first leg of the tie. Facts, however, indicated that the slight discomfort experienced by Libya in that encounter was entirely due to Libya’s unilateral alteration of her travelling schedule without informing Nigeria. Indeed, facts showed that despite being taken by surprise by the Libyans, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) made concerted efforts to accommodate the Libyan contingent and brought them to safety from Port Harcourt to Uyo, all within a reasonable time frame.

The African football body should recall that the October 15 incident is not the first time Libya would be treating a Nigerian team in such an inhumane manner.  In 2021, before a CAF Cup game, the Libyans subjected a Nigerian team, Rivers United, to a scary treatment, switching off the stadium’s light during the team’s training session. The Nigerian team almost abandoned the match against Al Nasr, Benghazi, because, before the match, they were regaled with stories of how Libya had no known lawful leadership and that any militia or junta could decide to eliminate the whole team to send a statement to the world. 

Another Nigerian team, Enyimba, was held up at the airport for 24 hours before a match the following day. For some strange reason, these sick acts have been going on in Libya with CAF doing nothing to stop it. Perhaps, this is the opportunity to stamp it out by placing strong sanctions on Libya, if found culpable.
Nigeria should continue to press for justice and defend her dignity as well as her countrymen and women anywhere in the world. No country should be allowed to deal with Nigerians or any other nationals with such dangerous contempt and get away with it.

Similarly, the African Union should see the latest Libyan incident as an opportunity to address, in strong terms, the age-long complaints about how Libyans treat migrants from the continent on their soil. There have been stories of torture, unjust imprisonment and other despicable treatment of Africans by Libya even though they are signatories to the African Union, which preaches the dignity of man. 
 
Already, the Libyan issue is threatening the unity of the continent with Tunisia and Morocco reportedly aligning with Libya over ill-treatment of another African country.  CAF, on the other hand, must look at antecedents and state of their member countries before approving any country to host its matches. Security of its members should be the paramount consideration before approving any venue for a game.