Libya have accused the Super Eagles of throwing their final home game against Rwanda in a 2025 AFCON qualifier so that they will not qualify for the continental tournament next year.

Libya have stoked more fire in the growing enmity between them and Nigeria after CAF last month awarded a botched AFCON qualifier to the Super Eagles.

Libya Akhbar newspaper reported that the Super Eagles 2-1 loss to Rwanda in Uyo left a lot of questions.

“On the other side of the group, Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to Rwanda on home ground added more controversy, especially since the result raised doubts about Nigeria’s intentions in this encounter,” the Libyan newspaper reported.

“The match between Nigeria and Rwanda was a shock to the Libyan fans.

“The fans expected a comfortable win for Nigeria, which would have kept Libya’s hopes alive if they defeated Benin. However, the scenario was contrary to expectations.

“Nigeria’s one-goal lead turned into a two-goal loss, as if the Green Eagles had abandoned their competitive spirit.

“The scene raised many questions in sports circles: Did Nigeria deliberately lose to eliminate Libya?”

However, Libya also failed to beat Benin at home to end any hopes to qualifying for the 2025 AFCON.

They face more sanctions after Benin complained that they were attacked after the scoreless draw in Tripoli Tuesday night.

South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, is optimistic about his side’s chances of securing the 2026 World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria and other contenders in Group C, as reported by Soccernet.

The Bafana Bafana currently sit second in Group C with seven points, trailing leaders Rwanda only on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles sit in a disappointing fifth place with three points, four behind South Africa, with six games left in the qualifying series.

Broos, whose side topped Group K in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers for Morocco 2025, believes South Africa’s recent form gives them the edge.

Reflecting on their progress, he remarked: “It doesn’t mean that we have to now think that we are where we have to be. No. But little by little we are becoming a very good team.”

He continued: “That will give us the confidence that we need for the next thing we have to do, which is qualify for the World Cup.Nigerian football souvenirs

“But I’m confident that we can do it. I think, if SA can qualify for the World Cup it is now because we have quality; we have a good team. We can do it. But we still have to do it.”

South Africa’s Bafana have not lost a match since their semifinal exit against Nigeria at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 AFCON.

In their last World Cup qualifier, they drew 1-1 with Nigeria in Uyo, a game where they nearly claimed all three points.

Broos plans to capitalise on South Africa’s AFCON momentum to navigate the World Cup qualifiers.

The coach expects to collect maximum points in their next matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, believing this will secure their ticket.

For Nigeria, the road ahead is challenging. The Super Eagles must win all their remaining fixtures while relying on other teams in the group to disrupt South Africa’s campaign.

The qualifiers resume in March 2025, with South Africa hosting Lesotho and Nigeria traveling to Rwanda.

According to SCORENigeria report, Victor Boniface suffered a thigh injury during a final 2025 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda in Uyo.

It was further revealed that the striker could now be sidelined for a couple of weeks on account of this latest injury setback.

‘Boni’ was long heralded as a valuable addition to the Super Eagles after his exploits for history-making German Bundesliga club Leverkusen last season.

However, he suffered a major abductor injury leading up to the delayed 2023 AFCON earlier this year in Cote d’Ivoire.

He subsequently missed the tournament and was sidelined for over three months after undergoing surgery.

The 23-year-old striker has come under heavy fire after he failed to open his goals account despite the opportunities and support he has enjoyed from coach Augustine Eguavoen.

He made his long-awaited Super Eagles debut in September 2023, but has yet to score for the country in 11 appearances.