William-Troost Ekong has shared titbits on what happened to Nigeria Super Eagles at Libya Airport amidst the row between the two countries ahead of their 2025 AFCON Qualifiers clash in Benina.
Nigeria and African football fans awoke to the travesty of an unprofessional handling of the Nigeria Super Eagles at Libya Airport by the officials of the Libyan Football Federation, LFF.
In footage which we shared in our previous post, the Nigerian delegation – comprising the players, coaching crew, and other team officials – were left stranded at the Al ABraq Airport in Libya.
Initial reports said the team were stuck at the Airport which is meant for Hajj operations for four hours after they arrived.
The hostile reception was preceded by a dangerous mid-air diversion of their flight from their original destination – Benghazi.
And that was not all; close sources reveal Libya Football Federation wanted to further drive the team to Tripoli, several kilometres away from Benghazi – a move that was rejected by the team members and the crew.
This led to all members of the delegation being delayed for several hours at the Al ABraq Airport. Nigeria Football Federation later issued a statement that the team are still stuck at the airport, hence they have made arrangements to transport them back and pull out of the match.
What actually happened to Nigeria Super Eagles at Libya Airport?
There have been various angles to the narrative on the why and what of the incident. Now, further details shared by Nigeria Super Eagles captain William-Troost Ekong have lifted the lid on what actually occurred.
Sharing a lengthy narrative on the incident, including footage of distraught Super Eagles players, William-Troost Ekong said the Libyan government refused to give approval for the team to land in Benghazi. This led to the diversion of the flight to Al ABraq.
Also, Ekong revealed even the pilot, who was a Tunisian, was shocked at the decision of the Libyan government to rescind the approved landing for the flight and that the Al ABraq Airport was not fit for the plane to land.
On arriving at the Al ABraq Airport, the Tunisian pilot was allowed to sleep there but no member of the Nigerian delegation was allowed. This forced the team and its crew to return to the plane to sleep.
William-Troost Ekong’s statement
“Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up,” he wrote.
Ekong added that the team have rejected plans to travel by road and have decided not to play the match again due to the mind games and hostile treatment.
“At this point, we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. As the captain together with the team, we have decided that we will NOT play this game. CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow.”
Victor Boniface Hints on Scary Moments at Al ABraq Airport
Bayer Leverkusen and Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface took to his X handle to update fans on how scary the situation was as they were still stuck at the Airport. He wrote, “This is getting scary now. You guys can have the point we just want to return to our country.”
Boniface tweeted this when the team crossed 16 hours at Al ABraq Airport with no food or water and some players could be whacked out and dozing off.
However, at the time of filing this report, the team is on their way back to Nigeria with the match not holding again as planned.
Libya reportedly cooked up the hostile atmosphere against the Nigeria Super Eagles to avenge claims of their maltreatment by Nigeria when they visited the country for their first match.
The Mediterranean Knights’ captain had claimed that Nigeria made the team travel for two hours by road to the match venue when they arrived in the country.
This claim has been disputed by the Nigeria Football Federation who said Libya caused their problems when they arrived in the country.
According to NFF statement, the Libyan delegation chose to land in Port Harcourt instead of Uyo and even booked their buses for the transportation.
What is next for the two teams following the row?
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have chosen to give up points in the match by not honouring the fixture. However, all is now left for CAF to make a decision on the development. An investigation is expected into the incident before the African football governing house will decide whether to reschedule the fixture or penalize any guilty party.
