Libya has submitted an appeal following the ruling by the CAF's Disciplinary Board in what they described as the “unjust ruling by CAF” over a botched 2025 AFCON qualifier earlier this month in favour of the Super Eagles.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has filed an appeal against the decision by the Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Board (CAF) to award the botched Group D AFCON 2025 second-leg qualifier to Nigeria.
The LFF is also challenging the board’s decision to award three points and three goals to Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
CAF had ruled that Libya forfeited the match and would pay a $50,000 fine for breaching various articles of their rules and regulations.
However, according to Libyan media outlet alwasat.ly, the LFF has enlisted Tunisian lawyer Ali Abbas to defend its appeal, which challenges CAF’s decision as “unfair,”
He said the LFF are studying the decisions of the CAF Disciplinary Board and could escalate the matter to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) were the ruling not reversed.
On Saturday, the Disciplinary Board, in a notification letter to the LFF, awarded the botched Libya versus Super Eagles AFCON 2025 qualifier, billed for October 15, in Benghazi to the Super Eagles.
The board fined the LFF $50, 000 for breaching “the Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.”
In the notification letter dated October 26, 2024, tagged: “Notification of the terms of the Decision DC23175 – QAFCON – 23.10.2024 of the CAF Disciplinary Board,” the body said:
(1) The Libya Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code;
(2)The match No.87 Libya v. Nigeria of the CAF African Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on October 15, 2024 in Benghazi) is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (by a score of 3-0);
(3) The Libya Football Federation is ordered to pay a fine of USD 50,000;
(4) The fine is to be paid within 60 days of notification of the present decision:
(5) All other and further motions or prayers for relief are dismissed.”
