By Habeeb Ibrahim
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reported that the Super Eagles’ delegation for Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya remains stranded at Al Abraq Airport, 12 hours after arriving in Libya.
The team had initially been en route to Benghazi, but their chartered ValueJet aircraft was unexpectedly diverted to the small Al Abraq International Airport, which is typically reserved for Hajj operations.
The NFF revealed that the team, which includes players and officials, was left confused and fatigued as no reception team or transportation was provided by the Libyan Football Federation to take them to their hotel in Benghazi, located three hours away. The diversion has reportedly left the team in a precarious situation.
In response, the NFF made efforts to arrange hotel accommodations for the team near the airport. However, they were informed by several hotels that they had been instructed not to accommodate Nigerians.
Even the aircraft crew encountered the same refusal when seeking hotel rooms. It was noted that the airplane captain, a North African, was offered a hotel room but declined, choosing instead to remain with the rest of the crew and sleep in the aircraft.
Frustrated by the turn of events, the Super Eagles players have reportedly vowed not to participate in the match, as NFF officials scramble to organize plans to fly the team back to Nigeria.
Recall that Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated the Mediterranean Knights of Libya 1-0 on Friday in Uyo during a Group D qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament scheduled for Morocco.
This victory is widely believed to be a significant factor behind the hostile reaction of Libyan officials towards Nigerians in their country ahead of the upcoming match.
