- The Confederation of African Football recently issued a sanction against the Libyan national team following the airport saga involving Nigeria
- Members of the Nigerian team were held hostage upon their arrival at Al Abraq Airport for their AFCON qualification fixture
- A former Olympic coach has urged CAF to increase the sanctions imposed on the Libyan team for their unsavoury airport incident
The Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s verdict on the airport incident involving the Nigerian team in Libya continues to stir significant conversations.
It should be recalled that members of the Nigerian team contingent were left unattended upon their arrival at Al-Abraq Airport for what was supposed to be the reverse fixture of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification clash.
The unpleasant incident involving the Libyan team contingent sparked significant condemnation from CAF, which eventually announced via a statement its punishment for the Libyan federation.
The punishment, which includes a fine of $50,000 alongside three points and three goals awarded to the Nigerian team, has so far been deemed insufficient by many stakeholders in Nigerian football. One individual who has voiced his discontent with the judgment is former AFCON winner, Kadiri Ikhana.
Ikhana speaks on Libya’s sanction
In an interview captured by Complete Sports, the septuagenarian expressed that while CAF was correct to punish Libya, the consequences should have been significantly more severe.
Ikhana pointed out that a national disaster of unimaginable proportions could have occurred if the Super Eagles’ aircraft had crashed due to the dangerous diversion.
“I believe the $50,000 fine, along with the deduction of three points and three goals from the Super Eagles, is fair. It serves as a deterrent to other nations that might consider similar actions. The Super Eagles’ plane could have crashed after the diversion if it had not had enough fuel,” he stated.
“This could have resulted in the loss of an entire generation of footballers, and the impact of such a tragedy would be monumental. Given the seriousness of the incident, the fine seems minimal and inadequate. They should have faced a more severe punishment, such as an outright ban,” he concluded.
In contrast, Libya has described the fine as excessive and has indicated its intention to appeal the sanction. The Libyan federation also emphasised that it would consider escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.
Libyan fans protest CAF’s judgement
Legit.ng in another report detailed that fans of the Libyan national team have taken to the streets to protest against CAF’s judgment on the airport incident involving Nigeria.
The fans, who are toeing the line of the LFF, have stressed the unfairness of the verdict passed by CAF on the national team.
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Source: Legit.ng