Libyan CAF Executive Committee member Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani has voiced his disappointment over the testimony provided by Captain Abdellatif Merchergui, the Tunisian pilot who flew Nigeria’s delegation to the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, Soccernet.ng reports.
Al-Shalmani has accused Merchergui, who serves as Acting Head of Flight Operations at ValueJet, of giving what he described as “false and slanderous” evidence favouring Nigeria in the dispute, threatening legal action in response.
Merchergui was presented by Nigeria as a key witness in the CAF hearing following the disrupted October qualifier between Libya and Nigeria.
According to reports by Libya Akhbar, Al-Shalmani argued that Merchergui’s testimony showed bias toward Nigeria and failed to maintain the diplomatic integrity expected between neighbouring 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 stated, promising to file an official memorandum against the pilot.
Al-Shalmani also claimed Nigeria had taken advantage of the high profile of its international players to sway public opinion.
He accused the Nigerian team of amplifying the story to present themselves as victims of Libyan hostility, saying,
“Nigeria latched on to the fame of its star-studded squad to sway global support for the Super Eagles.”
Further complicating matters, Al-Shalmani denied media reports suggesting a decision on the case had already been issued.
He clarified that a Zoom meeting had been held where Libya submitted the necessary documentation to the CAF Disciplinary Committee, which is now reviewing the case.
“We have assigned a highly qualified lawyer to manage this file,” he stated, adding that Libya will appeal should the outcome not favour them.
The Libyan Football Federation has indicated it is prepared to challenge any unfavourable decision from the hearing.