Patrice Motsepe, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has publicly addressed the recent incident involving Nigeria’s Super Eagles at a Libyan airport ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. Speaking during a press conference, Motsepe condemned the situation while emphasizing his decision to refrain from commenting further until a thorough investigation is complete.
He stated, “We should have zero tolerance for such incidents. While I cannot discuss the specifics of what happened with the Nigerian national team in Libya, it’s important to note that we are committed to addressing these issues. This behavior is not new, and we must take appropriate action.”
Motsepe highlighted ongoing concerns about sportsmanship in football, sharing instances where teams have faced undue scrutiny or delays while traveling. He remarked, “We have heard too many stories of teams spending hours at airports, being questioned about non-existent documents. Such practices undermine the spirit of the game, and we need to enforce better regulations to promote fairness.”
Nigeria had been scheduled to face Libya in the return leg of their match on October 15, 2024. However, they chose not to play after being detained for over 20 hours at the airport, following a diversion of their flight to a smaller airport as they approached Benghazi. The CAF is expected to deliver a verdict on the situation soon.
Written By; Christopher Emuakpeje