Libya CAF Member: ‘Tunisian pilot presented false testimony in support of Nigeria’

Abdelhakim Shalmani, a member of the Executive Board of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, says the testimony of the Tunisian pilot who flew the ValueJet Aircraft that was diverted from landing at the Benina international airport to Al Albraq which the Nigeria Football Federation presented in its defence of the botched 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game between Libya and Nigeria is false.

Shalmani, according to reports in the Libyan media, says ‘the pilot of the plane gave testimony that served his personal interests rather than committing to diplomatic relations between neighboring Libya and Tunisia.

‘This false testimony will not pass without legal follow-up, as an official memorandum of complaint will be filed against the Tunisian pilot who violated the rules of integrity and honesty.’

The Libyan CAF member also pointed out that the Nigerian team took advantage of the fame of its professional players in international leagues especially in Europe to create the impression that they are victims of Libyan attacks or plots.

Shalmani insists ‘the facts on the ground are completely different from those that the Nigerian team is trying to present. What Nigerians are trying to portray as oppression on our part is actually an attempt to obscure the truth, as the testimony presented was completely false,’ he told Libyan daily newspaper, Libya Akhbar.

Shalmani revealed that Nigeria was represented in the case by more than 20 people, including the Minister of Sports, members of the Nigerian parliament and other prominent figuresexpressed expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of any official Libyan support, as he found himself alone in representing Libya in this issue, which he described as “nationalism’.

‘While I was representing Libya alone, this issue was supposed to be an opportunity to unite and support the homeland. It is unreasonable for me to address the responsible authorities individually without having an official capacity to do so. This is an issue that affects Libya’s dignity and sporting reputation and requires everyone’s intervention,’ he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.