Tunisian pilot presented false testimony in support of Nigeria, says Libyan CAF member

A member of the Executive Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Abdelhakim Shalmani, has described as ‘false’ the testimony of the Tunisian pilot who flew the ValueJet Aircraft that was diverted from landing at the Benina international airport to Al Albraq, which the Nigeria Football Federation presented in its defence of the botched 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game between Libya and Nigeria.

Shalmani, according to reports in the Libyan media, says ‘the pilot of the plane gave testimony that served his personal interests rather than committing to diplomatic relations between neighbouring Libya and Tunisia.

“This false testimony will not pass without legal follow-up, as an official memorandum of complaint will be filed against the Tunisian pilot who violated the rules of integrity and honesty,” he said.

The Libyan CAF member also pointed out that the Nigerian team took advantage of the fame of its professional players in international leagues especially in Europe to create the impression that they are victims of Libyan attacks or plots.

Shalmani insists the facts on the ground are completely different from those that the Nigerian team is trying to present. “What Nigerians are trying to portray as oppression on our part is actually an attempt to obscure the truth, as the testimony presented was completely false,” he told Libyan daily newspaper, Libya Akhbar.

Shalmani, who revealed that Nigeria was represented in the case by more than 20 people, including the Minister of Sports, members of the Nigerian parliament and other prominent figures, expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of any official Libyan support, as he found himself alone in representing Libya in this issue, which he described as “nationalism’.