The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has formally petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to consider awarding three points and three goals to the Super Eagles as redress for the distressing circumstances they encountered in Libya during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights.
The CAF Disciplinary Committee is scheduled to convene in Cairo, Egypt, the headquarters of the football governing body, contrary to prior indications that the meeting would take place at the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia. The Super Eagles were scheduled to play against Libya in a Group D Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Benghazi on October 15.
However, the team declined to participate in the match after their plane was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, where they were subjected to over 16 hours of detainment without access to essential provisions such as food, water, or Internet connectivity.
After boycotting the game, Nigeria lodged a formal complaint with CAF regarding the "inhumane" treatment by Libya. In response, the Libya Football Federation (LFF) has engaged legal representation to defend against the allegations and potentially seek a ruling in their favor.
CAF constituted a committee to investigate the incident and impose sanctions on any party found responsible for the crisis.
The committee, having allotted both parties until last Sunday to submit evidence supporting their respective claims, is poised to commence proceedings tomorrow and issue its decision during this week.
Ademola Olajire, NFF Media Director, articulated that the Nigerian delegation in Cairo is advocating for CAF to either award three points and three goals to Nigeria or, as an alternative, mandate a rematch of the game in a neutral venue.
"We are seeking full compliance with the regulations, entailing the allocation of three points and three goals to Nigeria, along with a substantial fine to discourage other nations from emulating Libya's actions. Should CAF be unable to award the game in our favor, we propose relocating the match to a completely neutral country devoid of political alignment with any involved party," expressed Olajire.
Presently, Nigeria leads Group D with seven points from three matches. Benin occupies the second position with six points from four matches, Rwanda follows in third place with five points from four matches, while Libya trails with one point from three matches.
Post a Comment