BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

There is an anxious wait in both Nigeria and Libya as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to release the findings of its nine-man Disciplinary Board on the Libya – Nigeria botched Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel earlier this month.

The day coincides with what could have been the 61st birthday of one of Nigeria’s football legends, Rashidi Yekini. The birthday of the nation’s all-time top scorer can only be marked posthumously as he died on 4 May 2012.

He shares the birthday with an even greater legend, the Brazilian Pele who could have been 84 years today. It will be icing on the posthumous birthday of Yekini should the CAF’s ruling swing in Nigeria’s favour.

Already there is great expectations from Nigeria whose football federation’s prayers at the Disciplinary Board is an outright award of the botched match to the Super Eagles.

That will go with three points and three goals to cement the team’s Group D leadership with 10 points. Considering the weight of evidence which weighed heavily against Libya, a possible ban of their home games and fines are very likely.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Nigeria Football Federation president and member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Pinnick spoke for Nigeria at the hearing of the Libya – Nigeria case in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

Libya on the other hand was represented by Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani, a CAF Executive member and former president of the Libya Football Federation.

Pinnick accused the Libyans of unsportsmanship attitudes toward the Nigerians and the Super Eagles.

His position was supported by a number of delegates among who are Senegalese Augustin Senghor, Cameroonian Seidou Mbombo Njoya, and Sierra Leonean Isha Johansen.

Al-Shalmani, who spoke for Libya along with a private lawyer engaged insinuated that their actions were retaliatory after accusing Nigeria of not treating the Libyans well in the first match in Uyo.

The Libyan Federation also submitted its file explaining the reason for diverting the landing of the Nigerian national team plane at Labraq Airport.

He pointed out that Libya had previously gave warm reception to other African teams using neutral teams of Sudan and Ghana as examples. Sudan had their home matches at Benina Stadium, near Benghazi.

However, the outcome of a confrontation between Ghana and Sudan in Libya had neither direct nor remote connection with Libya’s interest.

Tunisia have fired manager Faouzi Benzarti three months after appointing the veteran following a shock home defeat by the tiny Comoros Island in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier earlier this month, the football federation said on Tuesday.

Benzarti, 74, was in his fourth spell as coach of Tunisia, who remain top of Group A despite taking one point from back-to-back games against the Comoros. They lost at home on Oct. 11 and drew 1-1 away four days later with the Indian Ocean islanders.

The home defeat was Tunisia’s first in a qualifier since Botswana upset them in 2010, also in Cup of Nations qualification.

Benzarti took over in September at the start of the 2025 Cup of Nations qualifiers and his team won the opening two group matches against Madagascar and the Gambia. He had previous stints as Tunisia coach in 1994, 2010 and 2018.

Tunisia complete their qualifiers with return matches against Gambia and Madagascar next month and if they finish in the top two places in Group A they will secure a record-extending 17th successive Cup of Nations finals appearance.

-Reuters