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CAF Ruling Sparks Mass Arrest of Nigerians in Libya Amid Rising Tensions
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ruled in favor of Nigeria’s Super Eagles after the team was detained for over 20 hours at Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya, leading them to miss a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.
The CAF Disciplinary Committee awarded Nigeria three points and three goals for the unplayed match, citing infractions by the Libyan Football Federation (LFF).
The disruption occurred when the Super Eagles, en route to Benina for their match, were ordered to reroute less than an hour before their scheduled landing in Benghazi.
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Instead, Libyan authorities redirected the team to Al-Abraq Airport, about 150 miles away, where they were stranded overnight. In response, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) withdrew the team and filed a formal complaint with CAF.
CAF’s Disciplinary Committee found that the LFF violated Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Chaired by Ousmane Kane, the committee also imposed a $50,000 fine on the LFF, payable within 60 days.
Reacting to the ruling, LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I called the decision “unjust and malicious,” alleging that the NFF’s influence within CAF had affected the outcome. Al-Suwai’I announced the LFF’s plans to appeal and, if needed, escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold their “legitimate rights.”
Following the CAF ruling, a popular Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, posted on Sunday, stating, “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest the Nigerian workers who are working here in Libya without legal papers. They have to pay $500 plus taxes.
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“The fine that Libya is accused of will be paid by Nigerian citizens who live in Libya. We have been subjected to injustice. We have no borders with Nigeria. What benefit are they to us? They’re a burden on the Libyan people. They have to go back home.”
The blog has more than 188,000 followers on Facebook and 57,000 likes.
The post was accompanied by a video of a Libyan TV presenter, who said, “Anyone who is living in Libya and working without paying tax is eating haram, which means sinful money. The government should make every effort to arrest all Nigerians who are working in Libya so that they can pay a tax of $500 and regulate their stay in the country by obtaining residence permits.”
Another Libyan site, Libya INF.TV, reported that Libyan stations wanted the government to start arresting Nigerian workers.
“Those who don’t have Libyan papers will have to pay a fine of $500 for taxes. If you refuse deportation, no mercy. The Libyan government will pay the Nigerian government from their citizens’ money,” the post said.
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