Nigeria's Super Eagles boycott AFCON qualifier against Libya after Airport ordeal
14th October 2024
The Nigeria national football team has announced their decision to boycott the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya due to a distressing situation they encountered after arriving in the country.
The Super Eagles were stranded at Al Abraq Airport for over 12 hours without food, water, or internet access, prompting their withdrawal from the match scheduled for Tuesday evening.
The team flew to Libya on Sunday night but was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, located more than 200 kilometers and a three-and-a-half-hour drive away from their intended destination of Benghazi Airport.
According to a statement from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the players and staff were left in a precarious situation with no reception team or transportation arranged by the host Libyan Football Federation to take them to their hotel.
In their statement, the NFF expressed frustration, stating, "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 federation described the diversion as "strange and dangerous," noting that Al Abraq Airport is typically only used for Hajj operations.
Defender William Troost-Ekong, formerly of Watford, took to Twitter to share the team's plight, saying, "12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted whilst descending.
The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason." He criticized the situation as disgraceful and called for the Nigerian government to intervene.
Despite attempts to arrange separate transportation for the team, the diversion thwarted those plans, leading the players to resolve not to participate in the match.
Troost-Ekong further stated, "Even if they decide to allow this kind of behaviour, let them have the points.
We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here. We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria."
As the Super Eagles prepare to return home, the situation raises serious concerns about player welfare and the logistics of international fixtures, prompting calls for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to review the incident.
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