Africa faces fresh controversy amidst wide-ranging soccer issues

Nigeria is boycotting their African Cup of Nations qualifying soccer game in Libya following a 15-hour stay at an airport in Bayda. Nigeria had a game against Libya in Benghazi, which is roughly four hours from Bayda. According to the Super Eagles delegate, their hosts purposefully diverted a plane to sabotage the travel plan. Libya similarly had accusations about Nigeria’s treatment when the two sides met in Uyo last Friday.

Nigeria accuses Libya of travel sabotage ahead of fixture

Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri, claimed mistreatment. Libya had to travel with three non-air-conditioned buses to reach their destination. A late strike helped Nigeria seal three points to stay top of their qualifying group.

The two teams were going to lock horns on Tuesday in Libya for the fourth round of group matches. That will not happen, as Nigeria departed Libya following an extended stay in the airport in Bayda. The Libyan Football Federation declined any wrongdoings as they associated the event with common air traffic control protocols. 

Meanwhile, Nigerians recalled an incident from 2021 where club side Enyimba FC had to forfeit a Confederations Cup return leg against Libya’s Al-Ittihad. After the change of venue without communication, the Nigerian club delegate spent over 24 hours at the airport.

African soccer faces inherent challenges

With their diverse cultures and genetics, games in the African region are subjected to controversies of different kinds. It’s common to see visiting teams complain about sabotage of travel plans. There are also frequent changes to the allocation of host stadiums. Last week, for example, Cameroon changed the venue for a crucial fixture against Kenya eight days before the meeting. 

Along with Asia, Africa spans the largest territory and population in the world. This usually results in varying cultural differences. The economic level of the continent and the dispersed geographical nature also make it difficult for away fans traveling to support their teams.

Because of these reasons, home advantage is an even bigger deal in the African Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers. The trouble starts with travel accommodations and getting into stadiums safely. This tends to apply to the intercontinental club tournaments as well.

Refereeing allocations often face controversies with accusations of favoritism. Then, there are incidents on the field that could cause an unfair advantage to the home team. During the 2022 World Cup qualifier tiebreaker in Senegal, Egypt went through a horrible penalty shootout experiment. The home fans pointed laser beams to distract Mohamed Salah and company.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) addressed the issue to avoid similar occurrences in last year’s Cup of Nations tournament. But it’s still a common practice in club football competitions. 

“Homeless” national teams

CAF is also intensely evaluating facilities provided throughout the continent’s stadiums. As a result, nearly 20 African countries are currently unable to host competitive games. 

Some nations immediately work on stadium renovations after strict regulations. However, it could also affect upcoming tournaments with Kenya, one of the co-hosts for the 2027 AFCON, one of the teams banned from staging international games. 

Despite the continuing construction of big stadiums in Africa, government officials usually use them as venues for hosting political campaigns. CAF affirmed its position in the demands for improvements in pitch conditions and facilities.

Using soccer cooperation agreements, North African countries opened their gates to accept those in need of arenas. On Tuesday, Ghana and Sudan will play at Martyrs of Benina Stadium. It’s the same arena that was hosting the game between Libya and Nigeria before the recent developments. 

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