Benin City — A former First Vice Chairman of the Edo State Football Association Dcn Darlington Okpebholo-Ray, on Wednesday called for sanctions by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) for the inhuman treatment meted out the Super Eagles, the Nigerian national team of Nigeria in Libya. while honouring the return leg of the AFCON 2025 qualifying match.
Recall that the Super Eagles had arrived in Libya for the second-leg match after securing victory in the first leg in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and their chartered flight was diverted.
The Nigerian contingent, including players and officials, were held hostage for over 18 hours in an attempt to derail their preparation for the upcoming match.
They were originally scheduled to land in Benghazi, but the plane was redirected to a lesser-known and substandard local airport.
Deacon Okpebholo-Ray who is the Publisher and editor-in-chief, of Truth Live News Media, said what transpired between the two countries is "disheartening and shocking, particularly when viewed through the lens of their long-standing diplomatic relationship."
He said Nigeria and Libya, two giants on the African continent, "should represent unity, respect, and sportsmanship, instead, the Libyan side resorted to underhanded tactics aimed at frustrating and exhausting the Super Eagles in an attempt to secure a favourable outcome in the now-cancelled match."
He said while the cancellation of the match was a positive step, it should not be the end of the matter rather CAF must go further by awarding the three points to Nigeria as a just consequence of Libya's actions.
He said additionally, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) should be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to other nations.
He said suspending Libya from international football competitions for a significant period would send a strong message to others, pointing out that it would demonstrate that CAF is serious about upholding the principles of fairness, sportsmanship, and respect that are at the core of the game.
He maintained that the incident was unfortunate as it revealed the dark side of African football.
"The events surrounding the match between Nigeria and Libya have exposed the darker side of African football.
"However, with strong action from CAF, these events can serve as a turning point. By taking decisive measures, CAF can ensure that football remains a force for good on the continent, uniting rather than dividing nations".
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He commended the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for acting quickly in lodging complaints to CAF and engaging in high-level diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation.
He also lauded Nigeria's Minister of Sports and Foreign Affairs who reached out to his Libyan counterparts as he commended the former NFF President Amaju Pinnick and other football stakeholders who joined in voicing their concerns, stressing that it is in the light of these efforts that CAF's intervention and decision to cancel the match was reached.
