Troost-Ekong: CAF’s decision will inject sanity into African football

Libya ponders petition to CAS
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, believes justice has been served, and that the team is closer to securing the ticket to their 21st appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to rule in Nigeria’s favour, the disputed AFCON qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had petitioned CAF after the Super Eagles were held hostage for over 16 hours at a Libyan airport prior to a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Benina, Libya.

The Super Eagles boycotted the match and flew back to Nigeria to formally complain against the maltreatment they suffered at the hands of the North Africans.

On Friday, CAF ruled that Libya breached several of their rules and besides forfeiting the match, they were also slammed a fine of $50,000 for breaching “Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.”

CAF wrote that “the Libya Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as, Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code, and that the match No.87 Libya v. Nigeria of the CAF African Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on October 15, 2024 in Benghazi) is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (by a score of 3-0).

Reacting to the decision, Troost-Ekong said that the Super Eagles are now just a step closer to making an immediate return to the African championship.

“One step closer to our target AFCON 2025,” the Super Eagles’ captain, whose tweet on his X handle on October 14 alerted the world to what the Nigerian team was going through in Libya, wrote via the same channel.

Troost-Ekong said such decisions would bring sanity to African football.

However, the secretary of the Libyan Football Association, Nasser Al-Suwaiei, has a contrary take on the decision.

Al-Suwaiei, who criticised the CAF decision, which awarded three points and three goals to Nigeria in the botched 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game, described the judgement as injustice.

He confirmed, yesterday, that the Libyan federation will appeal the decision within 72 hours, and if it is not accepted, the case will be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland to restore “Libya’s mandate.”

He described the decision as “malicious and unjust” in a press statement, saying that CAF took its decision based on pressure and influence from its Nigerian counterpart.

Al-Suwaie explained that CAF took the decision without fair consideration of the position of the Libyan team, declaring its rejection of the sanction.