Libyan CAF Executive Committee member Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani has expressed his dissatisfaction with the testimony provided by Captain Abdellatif Merchergui, Tunisian pilot who transported Nigeria’s delegation to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Al-Shalmani has accused Merchergui, who serves as Acting Head of Flight Operations at ValueJet, of delivering what he describes as “false and slanderous” evidence favoring Nigeria in the ongoing dispute, threatening legal action as a result.
Merchergui was presented as a key witness by Nigeria in the CAF hearing following the disrupted qualifier between Libya and Nigeria in October.
According to reports from Libya Akhbar, Al-Shalmani contended that Merchergui’s testimony demonstrated bias towards Nigeria, undermining the diplomatic integrity expected between neighboring countries Libya and Tunisia.
“What the Nigerians are trying to portray as injustice on our part is, in fact, an attempt to cover up the truth, as the testimony presented was completely false,” Al-Shalmani asserted, promising to file an official memorandum against the pilot.
He further claimed that Nigeria had exploited the high profile of its international players to influence public opinion, accusing the Nigerian team of exaggerating the situation to portray themselves as victims of Libyan hostility.
“Nigeria latched on to the fame of its star-studded squad to sway global support for the Super Eagles,” he stated.
Complicating matters, Al-Shalmani denied media reports suggesting that a decision on the case had already been made.
He clarified that a Zoom meeting had been conducted where Libya submitted the necessary documentation to the CAF Disciplinary Committee, which is currently reviewing the case.
“We have assigned a highly qualified lawyer to manage this file,” he confirmed, adding that Libya intends to appeal if the outcome does not favor them.
The Libyan Football Federation has indicated its readiness to challenge any unfavorable decision stemming from the hearing.