I wonder why no one is talking about the recently delivered CAF's verdict on the Nigeria/Libya episode despite having a good argument shortly after Libya's ignoble act against the Nigerian team.
I was happy yesterday when I read from various news outlets that Libya was heavily sanctioned by the CAF. The football body automatically awarded 3 goals and 3 points to the Nigerian team for the match they did not play (Libya 0 - Nigeria 3). Not only that, Libya was also fined $50,000 for this ugly act. This is what I call justice!
https://x.com/NigeriaStories/status/1850161919262437582I know about this not quite long ago when I saw it on Punch about how Libya has started arresting Nigerians in their country. I think Libya is taken this far and too serious. If Confederation of African Football did not declare Nigeria as the winner, Libya does not have any chance to get qualified. They have just 1 point and they are the worst on the group D.
At least they came to Nigeria, although they were disappointed but they played, unlike how they waste our player's time in their country without playing. What I have thought about it before was that Libya is not serious because they know they are losers. If they are the first or the second on the table, they will not joke with the remaining qualification matches at all but play the match.
Libya think that the decision was greatly influenced by Nigeria Football Federation, but they do not look at their own mistakes. They have now started to arrest Nigerians in their country. Indicating that Nigerians will be the ones that will pay the fine.
Campaign against Nigerians in Libya
Following the CAF ruling, a popular Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, posted on Sunday, stating, “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest the Nigerian workers who are working here in Libya without legal papers. They have to pay $500 plus taxes.
“The fine that Libya is accused of will be paid by Nigerian citizens who live in Libya. We have been subjected to injustice. We have no borders with Nigeria. What benefit are they to us? They’re a burden on the Libyan people. They have to go back home.”
The blog has more than 188,000 followers on Facebook and 57,000 likes.
The post was accompanied by a video of a Libyan TV presenter, who said, “Anyone who is living in Libya and working without paying tax is eating haram, which means sinful money. The government should make every effort to arrest all Nigerians who are working in Libya so that they can pay a tax of $500 and regulate their stay in the country by obtaining residence permits.”
Another Libyan site, Libya INF.TV, reported that Libyan stations wanted the government to start arresting Nigerian workers.
“Those who don’t have Libyan papers will have to pay a fine of $500 for taxes. If you refuse deportation, no mercy. The Libyan government will pay the Nigerian government from their citizens’ money,” the post said.
Mass arrests of Nigerians in Libya
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, Adenaike Emmanuel, said the arrests began on Sunday after the CAF statement was released in the country.
“They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they were saying they can’t accept it and that they are not the ones who will pay the money. They have started proving this.
“Someone called me and said they had already begun arresting people in his area. The same thing is happening here in Tripoli. In some places, people were arrested on Sunday morning and afternoon. As I mentioned before, Libyans don’t hide their feelings. They believe that by doing this, they are getting their revenge,” Adenaike stated.
I do not think it should get to this point. Libya took this too personal, and which is not called for or good.