By JOE APU

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board has awarded Nigeria three points and three goals from the abandoned Matchday 4 encounter against Libya in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification series. The match was originally scheduled to be played in Benghazi, Libya, on October 15.

In a ruling issued on Saturday and signed by the board’s chairman, Ousmane Kane, CAF found the Libya Football Federation in breach of several regulations.

According to the board’s decisions which were classified in four folds namely that the Libya Football Federation was found to have violated Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, along with Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

Secondly, it stated that match between Libya and Nigeria, scheduled for October 15, was declared a forfeit, awarding Nigeria a 3-0 victory and thirdly that the Libya Football Federation has been fined USD 50,000, to be paid within 60 days of the decision. Lastly, all other motions and requests were dismissed.

The ruling has significant implications for Nigeria’s AFCON qualification campaign. The Super Eagles now sit at the top of Group A with 10 points from four matches, four points clear of second-placed Benin Republic, while Rwanda is third with five points. Libya, with just one point, has been eliminated from contention.

Nigeria’s path to the AFCON finals now clearer, needs only a win or a draw against Benin Republic on November 14 in Abidjan to secure a spot in the tournament, which will be held in Morocco in December 2025 and January 2026.