The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced, on Monday, the opening of an investigation into the circumstances of the match between Nigeria and Libya, which was scheduled to be held on Tuesday, as part of the qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Nigerian Federation had confirmed that the national team’s representatives had suffered ill-treatment and inhuman abuse in Libya.

According to the official “CAF” website: “The Confederation of African Football contacted the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after being informed that the Nigerian national team and its technical staff were stranded in worrying conditions for several hours at an airport, where they were allegedly directed to land by the Libyan authorities.”< /p>

He added that he had referred this matter “to the Disciplinary Committee for investigation, and that he would take appropriate measures against anyone who violated the regulations and laws.”

The Nigerian Football Federation announced, on Monday, that it would return members of the national team to the country due to what it described as “inhuman treatment” in Libya on the eve of a confrontation between the two teams in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Director of Communications at the Nigerian Federation, Ademola Olajiri, said: “The national team players decided not to play the match, and the Nigerian Federation officials are taking measures to return the players to the country.”

He also indicated that a complaint had been sent to the Confederation of African Football in this regard.

The members of the Nigerian national team remained at Al-Abraq Airport in Libya for about 15 hours after a plane chartered for travel landed. It appears that it was scheduled to land at Benghazi Airport, but was diverted to Al-Abraq Airport.

Nigeria defeated Libya 1-0 in the first leg, on Friday, topping the group with 7 points from 3 matches.

Nigerian Sports Minister John Enoh condemned this incident, saying, "We strongly condemn the abhorrent treatment inflicted on the players and officials of the senior national team."

He continued: “The members of the delegation have remained without care for more than approximately 15 hours since their arrival, without food or housing, and were left in an environment infested with mosquitoes and were cordoned off by Libyan security so that they would not leave the airport,” indicating that his priority is "Safety of the national team members."

In response, the Libyan Football Association said in an official statement on its “X” account: “We express our concern about the reports being circulated regarding the diversion of the Nigerian national team’s flight.”

He continued: “We regret any inconvenience that may have occurred, and we would like to emphasize that such incidents may occur as a result of routine protocols related to air traffic control.”

He added: “We hope that the misunderstanding will be resolved in a spirit of understanding and good faith, and our doors are open to our Nigerian brothers and all African teams, and we will continue to promote the spirit of unity, sportsmanship and friendship in the world of football.”

He added: “We hope that the international media will stop hiding the facts and fabricating false news that has nothing to do with reality. In Libya, we believe that sports are a means of promoting unity and brotherhood among peoples.”