A Libyan newspaper, The Libyan Observer, has claimed that Nigeria has apologised to Libya over the botched Africa Cup of Nations qualifier both countries were billed to play in Benghazi on Tuesday.
The newspaper’s claim of a Nigerian apology authored by SafaAlharathy reads:
“In a recent phone call with the east-based government Foreign Minister Abdelhadi Al-Huwaij, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar extended an official apology to the Libyan government and its people for a recent incident involving the Libyan national football team.
“The apology followed growing tensions after a controversial decision by Nigeria’s Football Federation to refuse participation in a scheduled Africa Cup of Nations qualifier return match.
“According to the eastern-based Foreign Ministry, Minister Tuggar expressed deep regret, clarifying that the incident was neither intentional nor a deliberate act by the Nigerian government. He emphasized Nigeria’s respect for Libya and its people, assuring that the matter was an unfortunate oversight.
“In response, Al-Huwaij reassured his Nigerian counterpart that Libya had ensured the well-being of the Nigerian delegation, providing full logistical and technical support to facilitate their safe return home. He also highlighted the longstanding and strong ties between the two nations, underscoring their commitment to maintaining friendly relations.
“The Libyan Football Federation had earlier condemned the actions of the Nigerian Football Federation, accusing it of refusing to participate in the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“Libya’s football authorities vowed to take all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of their national team in response to the incident.”
The Libyan Observer illustrated its report with a picture of Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Tuggar holding a phone with his right hand, supposedly making the apology call.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not officially reacted to the Libyan claim but an official told Daily Query, “Nothing of the sort happened, you can see how desperate the Libyans are.”
CAF has referred the dispute between Nigeria and Libya to its Disciplinary Committee.
