Five-time winners Cameroon and 2019 champions Algeria have both booked their places at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals after victories in qualifying, bringing the number of confirmed teams to four.
Cameroon defeated Kenya 1-0 when Boris Enow scored the only goal of the game in neutral Kampala, while Ramy Bensebaini netted a first-half spot-kick winner for Algeria against Togo in Lome.
But uncertainty surrounds the fixture between Libya and Nigeria after the visitors went home after being forced to land 220km from the Benghazi venue after a late diversion and being stranded overnight at Al Abraq Airport.
“BACK HOME SAFE & SOUND. Proud of this team,” captain William Troost-Ekong subsequently said on X, formerly Twitter.
Troost-Ekong had accused Libya of “mind games”, after Libya had complained about being treated badly around the reverse fixture Nigeria won 1-0 on Friday.
The African confederation CAF said it has been “in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it had been informed that the Nigerian National Football Team and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land by the Libyan authorities”.
“Been at the airport for almost 13 hours no food no wifi no where (sic) to sleep,” striker Victor Boniface said.
Troost-Ekong said: “So how long are they planning to hold us hostage here!!! … This kind of behaviour, let them have the points. We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security.
“They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.”
The Libyan FA insisted the diversion “was not intentional”.
Libya had reportedly accused Nigeria of bad treatment at the reverse fixture, having had to wait for hours for a shuttle bus and their departure delayed by a day.
On the pitch Enow drilled in a low free kick as Cameroon dominated in Kampala in the absence of their federation president Samuel Eto’o, who is serving a six-month stadium ban by world governing body FIFA.
The victory ensured Cameroon a place in the group’s top two, which is enough to secure a place at the 24-team finals.
Cameroon and Algeria – who have 12 points from four games – join hosts Morocco and Burkina Faso as the four teams so far confirmed for the finals.
In other results, Gambia beat Madagascar 1-0, Equatorial Guinea scored a 2-1 away win against Liberia, and home side Zimbabwe had a 3-1 victory against Namibia.
with DPA
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