AFCON: Investigation ongoing on Nigeria-Libya incident, says CAF president

The Confederation of African Football president, Patrice Motsepe, has said that a proper investigation is ongoing following the recent controversy surrounding Nigeria’s AFCON qualifier against Libya.

The president also emphasised that the confederation will not tolerate any lack of sportsmanship in African football.

Motsepe, during a press conference on Tuesday after the 46th Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, spoke in response to the difficult conditions the Nigerian national team faced during their trip to Libya, which raised concerns about player safety and fair treatment.

Recall that Nigeria travelled to Libya for their crucial AFCON qualifier, where they encountered several challenges, including redirection of their flight, over 18-hour delay at the airport, and logistical complications that affected the team’s preparation.

Some players, including Team captain Troost Ekong and Victor Osimhen, expressed dismay over the situation, with Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo calling the decision to play in Libya “terrible” due to the ongoing instability in the country.

Motsepe, without commenting directly on the Nigeria-Libya situation, noted that the incident is under investigation.

He stated, “It’s because when there was this problem with the Nigerian national team in Libya, and I will not comment on that, because there’s a proper investigation. But I want to emphasise a principle that we will not tolerate, because this is something that has been going on for quite some time.

“Your national team, let me emphasise, forget about the Nigeria and Libya situation, because that process has been properly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken.”

He further highlighted that such issues have been recurring in African football, where visiting teams are sometimes treated poorly.

“Too many stories have been told of national teams or football clubs going to a country, and they spend hours at the airport, being asked about documents that don’t exist,” Motsepe said.

During his remarks, the CAF President emphasised the importance of treating visiting teams with respect and dignity, pointing to the principle of fairness in competition.

“But it’s this lack of sportsmanship that has existed and we haven’t taken effective action, but I just want to repeat, we are proud of those nations that treat visiting national teams and football clubs with the respect and dignity they deserve,” he added.

Motsepe also stressed that CAF is reviewing its regulations and will enforce stricter measures to ensure that incidents like the one involving Nigeria in Libya do not recur.

“If there are violations of those regulations and those rules, we will take action,” he said, adding that sportsmanship remains a core value in African football.