Libya blames Nigeria for failure to qualify for AFCON tournament

• The Libyan national team failed to secure qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco
• Despite their impressive final round of fixtures, the Mediterranean Knights will finish at the bottom of the Group D standings
• The Libyan media have blamed the Super Eagles for their failure to qualify for the showpiece in Morocco

The Libyan national team has singled out the Nigerian team for blame following their failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco.

The Mediterranean Knights, who required a victory in their final AFCON qualification fixture, were held to a draw by the Republic of Benin on their home turf.

Players of the Libyan team pose for a group photo ahead of their AFCON qualification clash against Benin Republic. Image: Issouf Sanogo.
Source: Getty Images

The 1982 AFCON champions had kicked off their qualification campaign on a positive note with a draw against Rwanda, but things took a dramatic turn when they became embroiled in what many have described as a "hostage saga" involving the Nigerian team.

Media outlet, Libya Akhbar, has now pointed accusing fingers at the Nigerian team, detailing that aside from their failure to defeat Benin, the Super Eagles intentionally lost to Rwanda to ensure Libya did not qualify for the AFCON.

Libyan media blames Super Eagles

The outlet described the match between Nigeria and Rwanda as a shock to Libyan fans.

In its report, it highlighted that the fans had expected a comfortable victory for Nigeria, which would have kept Libya’s hopes alive, provided they defeated Benin.

However, the outcome was far from what was anticipated. Nigeria’s one-goal lead quickly turned into a two-goal loss, as if the Super Eagles had abandoned their competitive drive.

The outlet strengthened its claims, suggesting that the Super Eagles may have been seeking subtle revenge for the airport incident in Al Abraq.

It’s important to recall that members of the Nigerian contingent were stranded at an unused airport for 20 hours, a situation that ultimately led to a hefty sanction for the Libyan team.

The event, which still lingers in the minds of the Nigerian players, is believed to have influenced their performance that night.

Whether the Super Eagles intentionally succumbed to defeat or not remains a subject of debate, one that may never be fully answered.

Nevertheless, both Nigeria and the Republic of Benin successfully secured qualification for the AFCON tournament in Morocco.

Gernot Rohr slams CAF

Legit.ng reported that Gernot Rohr called out CAF after arriving at the Libyan airport with his Benin Republic players for the crucial AFCON 2025 qualifier match.

The German head coach claimed he is surprised that CAF could allow the North Africans to host a match at home after the Super Eagles' hostage ordeal a month ago.

Source: Legit.ng