Nigeria Football Federation have pulled the Super Eagles of Nigeria out of 2025 AFCON Qualifiers match against Libya after the country held the team hostage at Al ABraq Airport.
In worrying footage below, distraught players and officials of the Nigeria Super Eagles could be seen locked down in a different location away from the slated spot they were expected to land on arrival.
Reports from the NFF media crew said the flight conveying the Super Eagles of Nigeria was expected to land at Benghazi close to the match venue but it was diverted to Al ABraq mid-air.
The reports claimed Al Baq is two hours road drive away from Benina in Benghazi. Also, the team were not allowed to leave the Al ABraq airport for four hours after being diverted to the location.
Why Libyan authorities are holding the Super Eagles hostage
The questionable treatments meted out to the Nigeria Super Eagles is coming a few days after Libya national team captain Faisal Al-Badri claimed that the Mediterranean Knights were subjected to a bullish treatment by Nigeria when they arrived the country for their first fixture.
According to him, the team landed at Port Harcourt instead of Uyo where the match was to take place and were made to travel for two hours on road to Uyo.
After Faisal Al-Badri’s report, Libyan news agency, LibyaNewsToday published a news that the Super Eagles will be treated the same way when they arrive Libya for the reverse fixture.
It is believed this is one of the reasons the Libyan authorities are holding the team hostage as revenge before the match on Tuesday October 15.
They reportedly want to ensure the Super Eagles doesn’t have enough time to prepare for the match and also cook up a hostile atmosphere ahead of the fixture.
NFF issue reacts to the incident, pulls Nigeria Super Eagles out of the match
Nigeria Football Federation have furiously reacted to the incident. In a statement screaming at the unfair treatment to the Super Eagles, the body confirmed the team were still at the Al-Braq Airport which is meant for Hajj operations for 12 hours after landing.
They also added that adequate arrangements were made for the transportation of the players after they arrived Libya but the arrangement was subverted as the team’s flight was dangerously diverted from its original destination at Benghazi.
“Super Eagles are still at Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya!
“The delegation of Nigeria to Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya still remained at the Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya.
“The chartered ValueJet aircraft was, strangely and in a dangerous manner, diverted to the small airport away from Benghazi just as the pilot was completing his approach to the Benghazi Airport. We understand the Al Abraq International Airport is only used for hajj operations.
“Fatigued players and officials have remained nonplussed as the host Libyan Football Federation failed to send any reception team or even vehicles to take the delegation members from the airport to their hotel, said to be 3 hours away in Benghazi.
“The NFF made arrangements for separate vehicles for the team but the plan was unhinged by the diversion of the aircraft.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer as NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” the NFF statement reads.
Super Eagles captain William-Troost Ekong voiced out his concern
Also, members of the Nigeria Super Eagles have themselves decided not to play the match fearing for their safety due to the harsh treatment.
Nigeria Super Eagles captain William-Troost Ekong said the team ‘won’t play’ the fixture under the conditions.
“We have kept our spirits but these are no conditions we will accept when done on purpose. Traveling by road is not safe here and you can only imagine how they will treat us in the hotel and the food they will give us.
“It was funny before but as a team we respect ourselves and under these conditions, we won’t play,” Ekong wrote on Instagram.
