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

Nigeria’s refusal to play their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification fixture successful Libya aft alleged “inhumane treatment” of their squad and eventual instrumentality location has overshadowed Algeria and Cameroon qualifying for the 2025 shot finals.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed connected Monday that their nationalist squad had returned location aft their agelong “ordeal” astatine a deserted airdrome successful Libya.

“The Nigeria delegation departed the Al Abraq Airport astatine precisely 15.05 hours [13:05 GMT], bound for the metropolis of Kano, and onwards to the Federal Capital, Abuja,” the NFF said successful a statement.

NFF manager of communications, Ademola Olajire, outlined successful a 20-point connection the team’s “ordeal connected Libyan soil”, saying the “keenly-anticipated match” had been “relegated to a fiasco by Libyan national authorities and Football Federation”.

The Nigerian squad were held astatine an abandoned airdrome successful Libya for much than 20 hours aft their chartered formation landed connected Sunday.

The Super Eagles had been owed to onshore successful Benghazi, but their level was diverted to al-Abraq, 230km (143 miles) distant from their intended destination.

Nigeria’s skipper William Troost-Ekong had said the squad would not marque a three-hour autobus thrust from al-Abraq to Benina, wherever the qualifier was scheduled to beryllium played connected Tuesday, for information reasons.

“As the squad skipper unneurotic with the squad we person decided that we volition NOT play this game,” helium wrote successful a bid of societal media posts.

“Let them person the points.”

Later connected Monday, Troost-Ekong confirmed his team’s instrumentality home, but insisted “no squad should beryllium mistreated this way”.

“Football is astir respect, and that starts by respecting ourselves,” helium wrote.

BACK HOME 🇳🇬 SAFE & SOUND.

Proud of this team, NAIJA SPIRIT can’t beryllium broken.
Throw astatine america what you want, it’s successful our humor to overcome. Ive seen a batch successful my 10 years with this group, but thing similar this, an acquisition that has brought america adjacent person TOGETHER. pic.twitter.com/AwGw4aQW2y

— William Troost-Ekong (M.O.N) (@WTroostEkong) October 14, 2024

Libya denies mistreatment arsenic CAF launches inquiry

A ceremonial ailment by Nigeria has been sent to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), whose disciplinary committee is present investigating the incident.

CAF said it viewed “the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team astatine an airdrome successful Libya successful a precise superior light”.

The connection added that CAF had been successful interaction with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities.

“Appropriate enactment volition beryllium taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations,” the connection concluded.

On Friday, Nigeria bushed Libya 1-0 successful the confederate metropolis of Uyo.

They pb Group D with 7 points from 3 matches, portion Libya are bottommost of the standings with 1 point.

The Libyan Football Federation denied immoderate impropriety, saying successful a connection it had the “utmost respect” for Nigeria.

“There are nary grounds to impeach the Libyan information teams oregon the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident,” it said.

“Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.

“We firmly cull immoderate claims that suggest foul play oregon sabotage successful this situation.”

The Libyan shot assemblage said its squad “faced important challenges upon accomplishment successful Nigeria” past week.

Algeria, Cameroon corroborate qualification with wins

Meanwhile, Cameroon and Algeria sealed their spots successful the 2025 contention aft signaling wins successful their respective radical matches connected Monday.

In Group J, Cameroon substitute Boris Enow bushed Kenya goalkeeper Bryne Omondi disconnected a escaped footwear extracurricular the country to springiness the five-time AFCON rubric holders a 1-0 triumph and qualification.

Second-placed Zimbabwe bushed Namibia 3-1 to determination 4 points up of Kenya successful the combat for the different qualifying place. The rivals conscionable adjacent period successful the penultimate round.

Group E saw two-time AFCON champions Algeria bushed Togo 1-0 successful Lome aft Borussia Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini converted an 18th-minute penalty.

Algeria person a maximum of 12 points from 4 outings and second-placed Equatorial Guinea are apt to articulation them arsenic Dorian Hanza’s extremity successful added clip gave his broadside a 2-1 triumph against Liberia successful Paynesville and a five-point vantage implicit Togo.

Captain Elias “Domingues” Pelembe, who turns 41 successful November, opened the scoring for Mozambique successful a 3-0 Group I triumph implicit Eswatini. It moved the Mambas supra Mali to archetypal place.

Four-time champions Ghana are warring for endurance successful the contention for qualification and volition look Sudan successful a cardinal Group F match.

Al Jazeera volition person unrecorded substance sum for the fixture from 10:00 GMT.

Algeria person confirmed their spot successful the AFCON 2025 finals [File: Luc Gnago/Reuters]

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies