By Kayode John
Former Technical Committee Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Green, has criticised the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for not sanctioning Libya before referring the inhumane treatment of Super Eagles players and officials to its disciplinary committee for investigation.
The flight conveying the Nigerian team was diverted from Benghazi, where the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier was meant to hold, to a local airport in Al Abraq on Sunday, despite getting an earlier approval to land.
The Super Eagles were locked up at the airport for more than 18 hours without water, food and internet. The Libyans reportedly took the punitive measures as revenge for what they allegedly went through in Nigeria last week before the first leg of the tie in Uyo.
The Nigerian team subsequently pulled out of the game and returned home after the drama.
Green insisted it is a common practice by North African teams, to which he said CAF has turned a blind eye for a long time.
“It was quite unfortunate, very unfortunate. It is a sad commentary of our football in Africa. This thing has been going on for ages unabated and nobody seems to want to check it,” Green told Brila FM on Wednesday.
“Football is played all over the world, CAF football is African football, it is not for one set of people in Africa; it is for the entire Africa and so when people like this begin to treat football as if they are barbarians, the least one would say is that it is condemnable.
“And again, I expect CAF, if they are up to their responsibility, to immediately clamp down on Libya. It is not a situation you have to send to the disciplinary committee. For what? It is so open in the face of it. Sanction them, then you now begin to review the matter. And not only that, make up policies that will Punish anyone who want to go this path in the future.”
CAF confirmed on Tuesday that the game between Libya and Nigeria would not be held along with other matchday 4 qualifying fixtures.
Nigeria remain top of Group D despite playing one match fewer after Rwanda defeated Benin Republic 2-1 in Kigali. A win for the Cheetahs would have seen them replace the Eagles at the summit of the group.
