2025 AFCON: Nigerians in Libya face mass deportation after CAF ruling
Members of the Nigerian community in Libya have reported mass arrests, fines, and deportation threats against them.
This alarming situation appears to be linked to a recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) concerning the treatment of the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, during their visit to Libya.
The Super Eagles were detained for over 20 hours at Al-Abraq Airport ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
Following this incident, the CAF Disciplinary Board penalized the Libya Football Federation (LFF) with a $50,000 fine and awarded Nigeria a 3-0 forfeit victory, heightening tensions between the two nations.
In its October 26 ruling, CAF also granted Nigeria three points and three goals for the abandoned match, significantly boosting their qualification prospects.
READ ALSO: CAF awards Nigeria 3 points, 3 goals over Libya game incident
LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’i condemned the decision, calling it “unjust” and alleging undue influence from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) within CAF.
In response, Libyan media and online platforms have intensified calls for punitive action against Nigerian nationals.
Libya News Today 1, a popular Libyan news outlet, reported: “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without legal documents. They should pay $500 plus taxes. This fine will be covered by Nigerian citizens living here.”
This post was accompanied by a video of a Libyan TV presenter urging authorities to pursue Nigerians working in Libya without proper documentation.
Another outlet, Libya INF.TV, echoed these sentiments, reporting calls for mass arrests, with penalties of $500 or deportation for undocumented Nigerians.
Amid these rising tensions, a Nigerian resident in Libya, Omo Oba Legba, cautioned others in a Facebook video: “My Arab boss, who is a policeman, told me not to go out because they’ve started arresting Nigerians. They aren’t even checking passports—any Nigerian is at risk.”
In a further escalation, Libya INF.TV shared a video of a Nigerian man pleading with Libyan authorities, urging them to “leave Nigerians out of this” and emphasizing that football-related issues should not affect Nigerian residents in Libya.
The CAF ruling has bolstered Nigeria’s qualification bid for the 2025 AFCON. Nigeria now tops Group D with 10 points, four points ahead of Benin Republic.
Rwanda follows with five points, while Libya, with just one point, is now eliminated from contention.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
