Following a nightmarish ordeal at a Libyan airport, the Super Eagles have finally arrived back in Nigeria, raising concerns about travel arrangements ahead of their AFCON 2025 qualifier.
The Super Eagles have returned to Nigeria following their challenging experience in Libya for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Players and officials were stuck at a Libyan airport for approximately 13 hours before their game, initially scheduled for Tuesday. Early Monday saw photos of the team sleeping on benches go viral, leading to widespread condemnation.
However, just a few hours later, the team arrived in Kano after Libyan authorities granted clearance for their flight to depart.
“Bring it on; overcoming challenges is in our blood,” the team’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, stated on his X handle.
In my 10 years with this group, I’ve witnessed quite a bit, but never anything like this—an experience that has drawn us even closer.
The Nigerian players and officials arrived in the North African country before the match. However, their flight was redirected from Benghazi, where the game was originally scheduled to take place.
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Access to food and other supplies was denied, leading some team members to express their frustration about the incident on social media.
This led to worldwide condemnation, with Nigerian authorities calling the incident “unfortunate.” The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, compared it to being “almost hostage” and announced that the Super Eagles would no longer participate in the game.
“They are in a situation that can be described as almost ‘hostage-like’. These athletes are scheduled to compete in an AFCON qualifying match on Tuesday,” he remarked.
Currently, our main priority is the safety of our national team members. Given the recent events, their security cannot be assured and they are unable to proceed with the match due to both trauma and ongoing psychological distress, as well as concerns for their own safety.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) refuted allegations of misconduct, asserting that their team encountered a similar situation when they played against the Super Eagles in last week’s first leg of the encounter.
The LFF stated, “There is no basis for accusing the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of intentionally orchestrating this incident. Such actions contradict our values and principles.” They attributed the delay to logistical issues and other challenges.
However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that it would investigate the “disturbing conditions” after consulting with Nigerian and Libyan authorities.
CAF stated that the issue has been submitted to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation, and suitable measures will be implemented against those who breached the CAF Statutes and Regulations.
