CAF President condemns Super Eagles inhumane treatment

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has spoken out about the troubling incident involving the Nigerian Super Eagles ahead of their AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya, condemning the inhumane treatment the team faced at the Libyan airport. 

At a press conference held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Motsepe addressed the situation for the first time, though he refrained from commenting on specific actions until the Confederation of African Football (CAF) concludes its investigation. 

Nigeria’s national team was held for over 20 hours at a small, remote airport after their flight to Benghazi was abruptly diverted just as they were approaching their destination. The delay and mistreatment led the Nigerian team to abandon the match and return to Abuja.

Motsepe condemned the overall incident, emphasising that such behavior—where teams are held up at airports and subjected to unnecessary procedures—has been a recurring issue. 

He pointed out that similar incidents have happened in the past, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where teams were sometimes targeted under false pretenses of health concerns to weaken their squads.

“This is something that has been happening for a long time, and it’s unacceptable. We are taking steps to review the regulations and ensure that sportsmanship and fairness prevail across all matches,” Motsepe declared.

CAF's president stressed that the body will take appropriate action once investigations are complete, reaffirming CAF's commitment to upholding the principles of fairness and sportsmanship in African football.