Benin Republic coach, Gernot Rohr, expressed surprise at the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision not to impose a stadium ban on Libya following the mishandling of the Super Eagles’ visit for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
- Rohr, who guided Nigeria from 2016 to 2021, anticipated that CAF would sanction Libya after the Nigerian team faced severe mistreatment upon arrival.
- The Super Eagles were stranded at the airport for 16 hours without food, water, or internet before their scheduled match in Libya.
- As a result, CAF awarded Nigeria a 3-0 victory and three points for the fixture, while Libya was fined $50,000.
- Despite this, Rohr hoped CAF would ban Libya from hosting matches and require them to play on neutral ground for the remainder of the qualifiers.
- He noted his expectation for Libya to face stronger repercussions, such as a suspension from using their home stadium, to uphold the integrity of the competition.
- “We thought perhaps that after what happened with Nigeria, they (the Libyans) would have had a suspension from the field to play like us on neutral ground,” Rohr said.
- However, CAF’s ruling did not include a stadium ban, leaving him disappointed as the team prepares for their upcoming match in Libya.
