AFCON
Extended international holiday for Super Eagles and Peseiro as Afcon qualifiers are postponed
The possibility of Nigeria’s Super Eagles playing at home again this year has been dimmed as the match day 3 and 4 of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series meant to hold in September have been moved to next year march.
It means an extended holiday for the Super Eagles and the new coach, Jose Peseiro.
According to information gathered from AFP, CAF postponed the matches on account of the earlier shifting of the dates of the final competition from June July next year to January/February in 2024.
It is also to allow the five African teams to the Qatar 2022 World Cup the opportunity to concentrate on the global tournament.
In the original schedule, four match days were to have been concluded last month, but for the threat of pulling out issued by Tunisia which felt the tightly crammed fixtures would affect their team’s preparations for the World Cup.
“The postponement of the Cup of Nations offered an opportunity to reschedule the remaining qualifying matches,” a document addressed to the members of the executive committee of the CAF, which has been seen by AFP, outlined.
“It also makes it possible to open the dates in September to international friendly matches for preparation for the World Cup.”
Senegal, who won the 2022 Cup of Nations in February, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia have qualified for the World Cup to be staged in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December.
The third and fourth rounds of qualifying for the 2024 Cup of Nations will take place in March 2023, match days five and six will be held in June with the sixth day set for September.
AFCON
Prominent Libyan football official calls for tough sanction on those responsible for Super Eagles’ maltreatment
A prominent Libyan football official, Al-Siddiq Abu Hadima,has called for tough sanctions on the Libyan Football Federation officials responsible for the crisis that engulfed the suspended Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Hadima, a former president of the Al-Dhahra Club, asked for the dismissal and prosecution of those responsible for the crisis.
In a publication in Libya’s outlet. Al-Wasat, Hadima recommended that if such people failed to submit a report that will exonerate them when the Sunday 20 October deadline issued by CAF lapses, “then they must be prosecuted and permanently dismissed.”
Al-Wasat got Hadima’s comments from his post on Facebook and remarked that “this negligence – if it happened – constitutes a betrayal of trust and a lack of awareness of the gravity of responsibility.”
It will be recalled that the Nigerian delegation to the botched match was held up for close to 20 hours at an abandoned Labraq Airport where their aircraft already on descent was dangerously diverted to.
The Nigerians were left without food and water for nearly 20 hours. CAF has already strongly condemned the actions of the Libyans.
As an investigation into the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations match, the Libyan FA secretary, Nasser Al-Suwaie has raised queries on the integrity of the personnel of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In a report published in the online version of Libyaalahrar.tv, Al-Suwaie remarked that there may be collusion from some parties within CAF, but the position of the Libyan Federation is strong.
He added that the Libyan Federation did not change the course of the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq Airport, and the reason for changing the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq was a decision by the Libyan state, and that the sovereignty of the Libyan state must be respected by everyone.
He however was silent on why the team was held hostage at the Al Abraq Airport and why the Libyan FA did not provide any logistic support to the Nigerian team that was held up at the airport for more than 16 hours without food and water.
Sources in Libya have confirmed that the Libyan Football Federation is under investigation over the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which failed to hold last Tuesday.
Nasser Al-Suwaie, Secretary-General of the Libyan FA, reportedly confirmed that the body has been queried by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Libyan FA has been asked to submit documents related to the cancellation of the match.
According to Libya Al-Ahrar, the FA has given them up till Sunday 20 October to submit the documents related to this file.
The Libyan FA secretary general, Al-Suwaie indicated that the body has assigned a specialized lawyer to provide evidence.
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