Despite boycotting the AFCON 2025 qualifiers game away to Libya, the senior national team of Nigeria has moved three places in the latest FIFA rankings.
The Nigerian team defeated Libya 1-0 in Uyo but had to abandon the away game after they were left unattended for over 16 hours at the airport upon arrival without food and water.
It could have been said that missing out on a game such as that would have affected the world rankings but, Nigeria are now the 36th-best team in the world after they moved three steps up from the last ratings.
They become the fourth-best team in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal and Egypt respectively as released by FIFA earlier today.
Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has listened to the submission of both countries after the decision to suspend the game.
At the hearing where former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and FIFA executive committee member, Amaju Pinnick represented Nigeria, Pinnick was clear in his submission that the General Secretary of the Libya Football Federation, Nasser Al-Suwaie went against the principle of fair play by switching off his phone and making empty promises to the Nigerian team.
Libya was represented by Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani, a CAF executive member and former president of the Libyan Football Federation, he argued that their actions were in retaliation to the treatment they suffered in Nigeria.
A claim which has long been dismissed as false, because their chartered aircraft landed in Port Harcourt instead of Uyo, and when the NFF secured a landing permit for them in Uyo they declined it on the grounds of cost implications.
It was also established that they decided to embark on the trip by night despite the NFF making arrangements for them to the contrary. Al-Shalmani was however silent on the reason behind the diversion of the flight, which could have led to a possible plane crash as that route wasn’t in the initial flight schedule.Â
A decision is expected to be made today with sanctions expected to be placed on Libya, who have also indicated their willingness to challenge any decision that goes against them with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
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