Nigeria return from Libya as Algeria and Cameroon qualify for AFCON 2025

Algeria and Cameroon’s chances of winning the 2025 football finals have been overshadowed by Nigeria’s refusal to play their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification match in Libya following alleged “inhumane treatment” of their squad and eventual return home.

After a lengthy “ordeal” at a deserted airport in Libya, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Monday that their national team had returned home.

“The Nigeria delegation departed the Al Abraq Airport at exactly 15.05 hours]13: 05 GMT], bound for the city of Kano, and onwards to the Federal Capital, Abuja”, the NFF said in a statement.

NFF director of communications, Ademola Olajire, outlined in a 20-point statement the team’s “ordeal on Libyan soil”, saying the “keenly-anticipated match” had been “relegated to a fiasco by Libyan federal authorities and Football Federation”.

After their chartered flight touched down on Sunday, the Nigerian team was stranded for more than 20 hours in a deserted airport in Libya.

The Super Eagles had been due to land in Benghazi, but their plane was diverted to al-Abraq, 230km (143 miles) away from their intended destination.

Nigeria’s captain William Troost-Ekong had said the team would not make a three-hour bus ride from al-Abraq to Benina, where the qualifier was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, for safety reasons.

In a number of social media posts, he wrote, “As the team captain and the team have decided that we will NOT play this game.”

“Let them have the points”.

Later on Monday, Troost-Ekong confirmed his team’s return home, but insisted “no team should be mistreated this way”.

“Football is about respect, and that starts by respecting ourselves”, he wrote.

BACK HOME ???????? SAFE &amp, SOUND.

Proud of this team, NAIJA SPIRIT can’t be broken.
Throw at us what you want, it’s in our blood to overcome. Nothing like this, which has brought us even closer together, has been something I’ve seen a lot in my ten years with this group. pic. twitter.com/AwGw4aQW2y

Libya denies being a victim of abuse as the CAF launches an investigation.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), whose disciplinary board is currently looking into the incident, has received a formal complaint from Nigeria.

The Nigerian National Football Team’s “unforgettable and disturbing experiences at an airport in Libya” were presented by CAF as “a very serious picture.”

The statement added that the CAF had communicated with the authorities in Nigeria and Libya.

“Appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations”, the statement concluded.

On Friday, Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in the southern city of Uyo.

They are in Group D with seven points from three matches, while Libya is at the bottom with just one point.

The Libyan Football Federation denied any impropriety, saying in a statement it had the “utmost respect” for Nigeria.

There are no grounds to believe that the Libyan Football Federation or the security teams had purposefully orchestrated this incident, it said.

“Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.

We firmly refute any claims that this situation might have involved sabotage or foul play.

The Libyan football organization stated last week that its team “had significant challenges to overcome” when they arrived in Nigeria.

Algeria, Cameroon confirm qualification with wins

Cameroon and Algeria, who both won their respective group games on Monday, secured their spots in the 2025 competition.

The five-time AFCON champions, who have lost to Cameroon’s Boris Enow, 1-0, won and qualified for Group J after Boris Enow’s free kick against Kenya goalkeeper Bryne Omondi outside the area.

Zimbabwe, which is now four points clear of Kenya in the race for the other qualifying spot, defeated Namibia 3-1 to claim second place. The penultimate round of competition will take place next month.

After Ramy Bensebaini converted an 18th-minute penalty, Algeria, the two-time AFCON champion, defeated Togo 1-0 in Lome in Group E.

Equatorial Guinea will likely join Algeria in scoring 12 points from their previous four matches, with Dorian Hanza’s goal in added time allowing his side to win 2-1 against Liberia in Paynesville and to extend their lead by five points to Togo.

Captain Elias” Domingues “Pelembe, who turns 41 in November, opened the scoring for Mozambique in a 3-0 Group I victory over Eswatini. The Mambas were placed first, above Mali.

In a crucial Group F game, four-time champion Ghana will face Sudan in a crucial match.

From 10:00 GMT, Al Jazeera will be broadcast live from the game.

Source: Aljazeera