The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has slapped Libya with a $50,000 fine and ordered the national team to play two matches behind closed doors following incidents of supporter and official misconduct during their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Benin in Benghazi on November 18.
This punishment comes on the heels of an earlier sanction against Libya for their controversial treatment of Nigeria’s Super Eagles during an October AFCON qualifier.
In that incident, Libya diverted Nigeria’s aircraft to an unsafe airport, stranding the team for over 20 hours without basic amenities. The match was subsequently canceled, and CAF awarded Nigeria three points.
The fallout from these events has reportedly caused diplomatic tensions, with allegations of harassment and arrests of Nigerian residents in Libya.
While Libya’s authorities have denied any orchestrated retaliation, Peter Omoreigbe, President of the Nigerian community in Libya, insists, “They are arresting innocent people. They don’t even care whether you have a passport or resident permit.”
Libya’s football federation defended their actions, citing alleged mistreatment during their visit to Nigeria for the first leg of the qualifier.
They claimed to have faced landing complications, with their flight directed to Port Harcourt instead of Uyo, the match venue.
In a separate decision, CAF’s disciplinary committee dismissed Guinea’s appeal to disqualify Tanzania from the 2024 AFCON.
Guinea alleged that Tanzanian substitute Ibrahim Ame wore a jersey number (26) not listed on the official team sheet during a qualifier, a claim CAF found insufficient for disqualification.
CAF also announced sanctions against Benin and Equatorial Guinea for undisclosed violations, signaling the body’s commitment to curbing misconduct in African football.
These actions reinforce CAF’s firm stance on ensuring fair play and professionalism across the continent’s competitions.
