Burkina Faso became the first team to qualify for the 2025 African Cup of Nations finals, joining hosts Morocco in the 24-team tournament following a 2-0 win in Burundi on Sunday.

A goal from Mohamed Konate and Bertrand Traore’s penalty, took the Burkinabe to 10 points from four games in Group L and ensured they will not finish outside the top two.

Senegal are in second place with seven points from three matches and will also qualify if they win away to Malawi on Tuesday. Burundi have three points from four games and Malawi none from three.

The top two in the 12 qualification pools advance to the finals that will be played from Dec. 21 next year to Jan. 18, 2026, bar Morocco’s Group B where one other team will qualify.

Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho are the other teams in that section

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match with Libya may not hold as the Super Eagles’ players have voiced out their decision not to honour the fixture on account of inhuman treatment by Libya.

The players decision is voiced out by the captain, William Troost-Ekong through a reel of statements from his X-handle.

He remarked that the players have resolved not to honour the match irrespective of any action, CAF may wish to take.

“They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink.

“At this point we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game. CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow…

“Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.

“Upon arrival he (the pilot) tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.”

Furthermore, the Nigeria team were not allowed to enter into any hotels based on the instructions of the Libyan Government, which infuriated Ekong. After consulting the team, the Al-Kholood defender revealed the Super Eagles will not play the game against Libya tomorrow.

Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match of Libya and Nigeria may not hold as the Libyan authorities still hold the Nigerian contingent to the match hostage.

As at the time of this report, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are still up at the  Al Abaq Airport in Libya where their flight was diverted to on Sunday night.

They were initially to land at Benghazi before the flight was diverted and the players and officials held hostage.

The players have remarked on their social media handles that they are not going to play the match.

CAF, the organisers of the games, have yet to make any comments. It was in a similar vein that the Moroccan club, RS Berkane were held up at the Algerian airport ahead of their scheduled 2023/24 Confederation Cup match with Algeria’s USM Alger.

CAF promptly intervened and made the Algerians to forfeit the match.

It was followed with a public statement: “CAF apologized for any inconvenience caused to their sponsors, TV partners and supporters”

At the time of this report, the Nigerian delegation has spent over 13 hours at the Libyan airport. It is further gathered that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is working on emergency plans to fly the team back to Nigeria as soon as possible.

 The Nigerian football body cited concerns over player health and well-being.

This means that Tuesday’s match may not hold. Besides, the Nigerian team will not have enough time to freshen up and mentally as well as physically prepare for the match.

 Libya, with just a point after three matches, have little to lose in Tuesday’s match as loss arithmetically knocks them out of contention.

But analysts believe they are up to a spoiler’s game. It is only recently that CAF permitted international matches to be held in Libya.